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'I've always been a huge fan of Mohammed Shami'- Morne Morkel

image-le3zfduzMohammed Shami in action [Source: AP]

India, who once had the reputation of being a spin-heavy side, have taken their fast bowling to a whole new level in recent times by nurturing plenty of incredibly talented seamers in the last decade. 

The country, that used to be ridiculed by its rivals due to the lack of quality seamers, has been feared by the same opponents these days, as they have succeeded in finding outright match-winners in Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah. 

Meanwhile, legendary South African pacer Morne Morkel has named Mohammed Shami his favourite-ever fast bowler from India. 

In an exclusive interview with OneCricket's correspondent Mr Vimal Kumar, Morkel explained what makes himself a huge admirer of Shami, lauding the Indian speedster for his ability to make the ball talk everywhere around the world. 


"I have always been a big fan of Mohammed Shami. I think he presents the seam well, he can swing the ball, he's dangerous at the death. For me, he's been exceptional even on these surfaces in South Africa. You know he was one of the bowlers we've spoken we spent a lot time talking about him. So, for me, shami is right up there as one of the best fast bowlers."

Furthermore, the Proteas great heaped praise on Mohammed Siraj for his exponential rise in white-ball cricket, holding the IPL responsible for the same. 

He also advised the Indian think tank to properly manage the workload of Jasprit Bumrah, who has been struggling with his fitness since the Asia Cup 2022. 

"Look I think Siraj's white-ball game has gone to another level, he has fantastic skills. It shows the IPL is a fantastic platform to learn as a bowler, as the bowlers get to evolve their skills on batting friendly surfaces,

"Look any fast bowler in his career, will face a stage when he needs to manage them (injuries) all. I mean India luckily have got a huge pool of fast bowling options and I think when Jasprit is back and fit it's going to be important for them to identify sort of windows for him that can bring him back in. Because he is a world class performer, we want him to be back fully fit and playing so we wish him a speedy recovery."

Morkel, who is currently with the New Zealand Women's squad for the ongoing T20 World Cup, also expected the Women's Premier League to play a pivotal role in revolutionising Women's Cricket. 

"If they want to get better, they need to play more competitive cricket. The more they play, they better will they get. So, the Women's IPL coming up, the Women's BBL, these are all platforms that give the girls the opportunity to grow and am a big supporter of that. I think if we can see more tournaments like these."