Re-emergence of Mohammad Sami

The fast bowler of Pakistan, Mohammad Sami has regained the lost form and has become a threat for the batsmen again,something  which is evident in the series vs. Sri Lanka.

Mohammad Sami - Back to the form
Mohammad Sami – Back to the form

Sami was the lethal weapon of the Green Shirts along with Umar Gul in the opening One Day International against the Islanders which was played on June 7, 2012, at Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium. The duo shared three wickets each as the formidable batting line up of Lankan Lions fell like ninepins and could score just 135 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the revised quota of 42 overs. Pakistan went on to win the encounter with a hefty margin of six wickets after the herculean efforts of their bowlers.

The performance of the Pakistani speedsters, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir, was hailed even by the captain of Sri Lanka, Mahela Jayawardene. Sami had a wonderful bowling spell in the match as he claimed three wickets for just 19 runs after delivering six overs and two of them ended up as maiden.

Mohammad Sami was born on February 24, 1981, in Karachi, a right arm fast bowler and right hand lower order batsman. He has played for Pakistan, Karachi Blues, Karachi Zebras, ICL Pakistan XI, Karachi Dolphins, Karachi Blues, Sussex, Lahore Badshahs, Pakistan Customs and the National Bank of Pakistan.

Mohammad Sami is a quality fast bowler who regained his place in the international cricket after his scintillating performances at the domestic level. He is a complete athlete who takes good care of his physical fitness and delivers the new and the old ball equally well with his immense speed and accuracy. He can swing the ball both ways, he mixes the slow deliveries effectively and creates a lot of problems for the batsmen.

The right arm quickie made his debut in ODI vs. Sri Lanka on April 8, 2001 at Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium. He has played 84 ODIs and grabbed 121 wickets at a reasonable average of 27.90 runs per wicket with the best of 5-10.

The 31-year-old appeared in the recently concluded first ODI against Sri Lanka after a lapse of nearly five years. He played his last game against Sri Lanka on May 20, 2007 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi and managed a couple of wickets.

Sami ran through poor form later on and was sidelined in the presence of few quality bowlers like Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir in the Pakistani line up. He did not give up and continued performing in domestic cricket, he made his presence felt once again and the national selectors did not hesitate to pick him for the Green Shirts anew.

The thrilling fast bowler, led Karachi Dolphins in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup, 2011-12 and his team qualified for the final of the tournament which was lost to Sialkot Stallions on April 1, 2012 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Mohammad Sami impressed the newly appointed national coach Dav Whatmore and the national selectors who picked him for the tour of Sri Lanka. He played his last T20 vs. New Zealand on May 8, 2010 at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, in the 17th match of the ICC World Twenty20 match.

The re-assured thrilling bowler was given an instant chance in the two match T20 series against the hosts Sri Lanka. He appeared in both matches and the rival batsmen found it hard to cope with his dangerous quick bowling and they had no answer, especially to his lethal rising deliveries. He was among the top three bowlers of the series and clinched 4 wickets at a super average of 9.50 with the best of 3-12 in the second T20.

Mohammad Sami has regained the lost confidence and is creating a lot of problems for the Sri Lankan batsmen in the ODI series as well. He has played 35 Tests for Pakistan and held 84 wickets averaging 52.27, the best of 5-36 in an innings and 8-106 in a match. The fast bowler played his last Test against South Africa on November 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 at Abu Dhabi and his present form can earn him a place in the national side in the longer version of the game. His re-emergence at the international level is an alarm for the batsmen all across the globe as he will be a dangerous customer to handle, especially at the green top wickets.


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