Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif hailed Indian fast-bowler Mohammed Shami for his impressive ODI World Cup campaign, stating him as the standout player for the Indian team in the marquee event. The 33-year-old has performed incredibly well for the Men in Blue after replacing Hardik Pandya in the starting lineup following his injury.
Being the leading wicket-taker in the game, the right-arm bowler has been the Indian team’s most brilliant performer when it comes to the bowling department. Mohammed Shami returned to action in India’s sixth league stage encounter against New Zealand and has impressed everyone with his wicket-taking skills throughout the campaign.
In seven matches, Mohammed Shami claimed 24 wickets at an average of 10.70 and a strike rate of 12.20, with his best figures coming from a 7/57 effort. More than any other bowler in the ODI World Cup history, the pacer has claimed four five-wicket hauls.
Speaking to the PTI, Rashid Latif believes that Mohammed Shami has been a standout performer for the team. The former captain of Pakistan feels that India’s defeat in the championship match might have been psychological, though they were deserving of the title, and praised the Australian squad for their mental toughness.
“You look at the way he has come up and done so well. He was in my opinion the standout player for India in this World Cup,” Rashid Latif said.
“Maybe it is just a psychological thing with the Indian players. This team was worthy of winning the World Cup final but all credit to the Australians for showing once again how mentally tough and organised they are in their sports,” Rashid Latif added.
During the ODI World Cup 2023, Team India gave it their all, winning nine of their nine league games. After that, they dominated New Zealand by 70 runs in the semi-final, and they were back at the top. After ten long years, they have once again failed to win the ICC title despite doing well in the league stage.
Despite losing the final match, many people hailed India’s outstanding effort of giving their everything to win the title. After dominating almost every opponent they faced en route to the championship, the squad won 10 straight games and semifinals against New Zealand but fell short against Australia on Sunday.