'Mohammed Shami can't do that': India pacer recalls being questioned over match-fixing allegation on teammate

There are only a few bowlers who can match the line and length of India pacer Mohammed Shami. Since making his international debut in 2013, the right-arm quick has come a long way, building his stature as one of the most experienced fast bowlers in the Indian cricket circuit in recent times. However, looking at his personal life, the 32-year-old cricketer had to face some turbulent situations which also made an impact on his professional career. Shami got involved in a major controversy in 2018 when his estranged wife Hasin Jahan brought some serious charges against him. She lodged a formal police complaint, accusing the cricketer of domestic violence, adultery as well as match-fixing. Jahan claimed that Shami had a contract with a Pakistani woman from whom he received the money. After the news became public, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which was then run by a Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), asked for a thorough investigation into the matter. They called on the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) which later cleared all the charges against Shami. Fast forwarding the clock to the present, another senior India pacer Ishant Sharma recalled the memory of the scandal during a conversation with Cricbuzz on their ‘Rise of New India’ show. He revealed that the ACU had approached other Team India players and spoken to them individually while going through the investigation. Sharma who shares a good bond with Shami also needed to answer some queries in front of the Neeraj Kumar-led panel. “I had a word with him (Shami) and he shared a lot on the topic. Whatever had happened, the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) approached us all. They had asked us whether Shami could do match-fixing or not. Just like policemen lodge a complaint, I was asked everything and all were written down,” Sharma noted. As explained by Ishant Sharma, he told the investigation committee that he was “200 per cent” sure about Shami not being involved in match-fixing. But he refused to comment on his personal life. “I told them, I don’t know about his personal things but I am 200 per cent sure he can’t do that because I know him that well," the 34-year-old recalled. He further said when Shami learnt about his statement, the friendship between the two pacers became stronger. Mohammad Shami is currently part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia on home soil. He wrapped up the recently-concluded first game of the four-Test series with three wickets in two innings on the spinner-friendly surface in Nagpur. The second match is scheduled to begin on 17 February at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.