Published: Jul 24, 2024, 12:22 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 24, 2024, 12:49 PM (IST)
In the recent time that has passed, Mohammed Shami has been considered to be one of the top Indian fats bowlers. However his journey has not always been nice, it has had some rather challenging moments. Though he was making news after news as for being India’s leading wicket taker in the last three editions of ODI World Cup, his personal life has also made some headlines over the years. Since his wife Hasin Jahan filed a police complaint against him, accusing him of domestic violence, Shami went through an up-and-down phase with her. She also accused Shami for match-fixing in exchange for some money from a Pakistani woman.
When Shami was cleared out of those allegations by the concerned authorities, his friend Umesh Kumar, on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, revealed that Shami was about to commit suicide on one night.
“Shami was fighting with everything during that phase. He lived with me in my house. But when the fixing allegations with Pakistan broke, and led to a probe that night, he was shattered. He said that I can tolerate everything but not allegations of betraying my country,” Umesh said.
“It also came in the news that he wanted to do something drastic that night [end his life]. It was around 4 AM in the morning when I got up to drink water. I was on my way to the kitchen when I saw that he was standing on the balcony. It was the 19th floor we were living in. I understood what happened. That night of Shami’s career, I feel, was the longest. Later, one day, when we were talking, he got a message on his phone saying he got a clean chit from the committee that was investigating the matter. He was probably happier that day than he would have been if he had won a World Cup,” he added.
Shami also decided to open up about his struggle during that point of time and what he was going through at that time period.
“It depends on what you prioritise more and then on the other person on how true his/her statements are. So when you know that the other person’s actions are invalid and not important to you, you should not leave your priorities. If I had not been the Mohammed Shami, I am today, no one would have cared about my situation, and neither would the media be interested in it. Then why should I leave the thing that made me Shami. So you have to keep fighting,” he said.
(If you need support or you know someone who is in need of it, please do not hesitate and reach out to your nearest mental health specialist or a certified therapist.)
