There is a father-son relationship with Dhoni, says Shami 

INDIA PACEMAN Mohammed Shami believes that he has developed a deep connection with the body, which helps him to understand himself better.

Shami, who had picked a knee injury during the third match against England, was subsequently ruled out of the fourth and fifth Test. The injury might also keep him out of action for a month, thereby ruling him out of the ODI and T20 series against England. However, the 26-year-old feels positive and wants to come back stronger. In an interaction with TOI, the UP seamer explained,

“I’ve reached a stage when even if there’s the slightest of discomfort, it’s easy to identify it. A slight swelling, the least bit of pain and you know that you need to get it checked. Playing at that level helps you immensely because the longer you play, the easier it becomes for you to connect with your body. After the Rajkot match, I could see a bit of swelling on the knee and I immediately brought it to the coach’s notice and spoke to the captain.”

Reflecting upon his early days in the Indian team, Shami stated that he shares a father-son relationship with limited overs skipper MS Dhoni. 

“I remember the first time I walked into this team. It's a ritual that whoever makes it to the Indian team for the first time has to make a speech. I was a little nervous. Most cricketers have a very active social life and mine was completely different, coming from where I do. I remember walking up and saying something to the effect that 'I can't speak in English so it'll have to be in Hindi'. And the guys were like 'toh isme kya baat hai' (what is the big deal in that). That whole feeling of being accepted so immediately was amazing. As far as MS (Dhoni) is concerned, it's like a father-son relationship. What more can I say.” 
 

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