Mohammed Shami Asked If Trolls Target Muslim Cricketers When Playing Pakistan. His Blunt Reply

Mohammed Shami is a role model to many. Hailing from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, Shami's rise to the top echelons of Indian cricket is nothing short of magical. After failing to make it big in Uttar Pradesh state cricket, he shifted base to Bengal, and from there on, he never looked back. He has so far played 64 Tests (229 wickets), 108 ODIs (206 wickets), and 25 T20Is (27 wickets). He was the top wicket-taker at the 2023 ODI World Cup with 24 scalps. He was also the joint-highest Indian wicket-taker (9 wickets) at the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Despite such an impressive record, Shami has been targeted by trolls. In fact, he was bitterly attacked on social media after India lost to Pakistan at the 2021 T20 World Cup. He was even called "a traitor" and "anti-national."

In an interview, Shami was asked whether Muslim cricketers get 'targetted' more—sometimes even more so when the Indian cricket team is playing Pakistan. His response was blunt.

"I pay no heed to such trolling. I have been given a job. I am not a machine. If I am working hard throughout the year, sometimes I will fail, sometimes I will succeed. It's up to people how they want to take that," Shami said on News24.

"When you play for your country, you forget all such things. For you, taking wickets and winning the match become more important. I don't want to go on social media at such times. You see both positive and negative comments. When you're playing, you need to stay far away from such things.

"We work hard to succeed. Trolls just have to type two lines. True fans will never do such things. If you have objections, then raise them—but respectfully. If you think you can do better than me, please come and try. It's always open."

Shami has played down retirement talks, insisting he is ready to play domestic cricket to get back into the national side.

"If someone has a problem, tell me, if it is like their lives become better if I take retirement. Tell me whose life have I become a rock in that you want me to retire? The day I get bored, I will leave. You don't pick me, but I will keep working hard. You don't pick me in international, I will play domestic. I will keep playing somewhere or the other. You have to make these decisions when you start feeling bored. That is not the time for me now," Shami said.

Topics mentioned in this article

Mohammad Shami India Cricket Team Cricket