'30 days with Shami' penned by Uttarakhand MLA to hit the shelves soon

Umesh Sharma, MLA from Khanpur and one of Shami's closest friends has written a book on the struggles he faced in his life when he was accused him match-fixing, domestic violence and adultery. The cricketer had stayed at Sharma's house for a month while he was going through the toughest phase of his life.

Dehradun (Uttarakhand): Mohammed Shami may have ended up becoming India's World Cup hero by scripting history with his 7-wicket haul in a one-day international but his life has never been easy and always been mired in controversies. The toughest challenge of his life was when allegations of match-fixing, adultery and domestic violence were levelled against him by his estranged wife.

Independent MLA from Uttarakhand's Khanpur Umesh Sharma has penned down Shami's life in his book titled '30 days with Shami'. Kumar said that Shami stayed with him at his house for a month and during that period he witnessed the cricketer's condition after being accused of match-fixing with Pakistan. The Indian pacer felt like he was dying every day, Sharma said adding that he had stood by his side comforting and supporting him throughout.

While talking to ETV Bharat, Suresh Raina said that there is no doubt that if Shami is performing brilliantly in the World Cup today it is because he has managed to overcome his depression and the credit goes to Umesh. "I saw how Shami was not only struggling with his game, but had lost his mental balance. He had only one dream and that was to do something better for the team. There came a time when he was losing control over his life. Nobody can explain Shami's condition better than Umesh," Raina said.

Sharma said that in 2018 an acquaintance told him that Shami was very upset with media trials and criticisms. "I spoke to him over phone for the first time and we met the very next day. Shami knew that I had many friends from the sports world. In such a situation, I supported him as a good sportsman. At that time he was afraid that the police might nab him. Then, he stayed at my house for a month," Sharma said.

During that one month, Sharma saw Shami fighting several battles. Be it the allegations levelled by his wife or court cases, Sharma never left Shami's side. Sharma said that in September 2023, when the court told him to get bail else arrest is certain, he and Shami went to Kolkata. Shami got bail on September 19 and on September 22, he took 5 wickets for the first time against Australia, Sharma said.

According to Sharma, Shami is a wonderful person and several aspects of his life will be revealed in his book. From the trauma he underwent when he was accused of match-fixing to relationship with his family and daughter, everything will be there in the book.

"Presently, Shami is focusing on his game. It is expected that he will lead the Indian team to victory by playing brilliantly in the finals as well," Sharma said. Notably, Sharma and Shami often post photographs of each other on their social media handles.