Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Mohammed Shami's 7/57 in 2023 World Cup semifinal ft. Wasim Akram

Mohammed Shami and World Cups are a match made in heaven. Every time the stage gets bigger, Shami brings the best out of him. Picking up 54 wickets in 17 World Cup matches is enough to justify that he is a big-match player.

Despite all his heroics in marquee tournaments, Shami was left out of the playing XI in the first four games. It was only after Hardik Pandya's untimely injury that the senior pacer was drafted into the side. Once he got his rhythm on a pacy Dharamsala wicket against New Zealand, there was no stopping him.

The Bengal pacer picked up wickets after wickets and is currently the highest wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup with 23 scalps from six matches. If the league games were just a trailer, Shami produced a once-in-a-lifetime spell in the semi-finals against New Zealand, who have troubled India in ICC events.

He single-handedly derailed the Blackcaps innings, returning 7/57 from nine overs, including the key wickets of Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell. The Kiwis fell 70 runs short while chasing 398 and had no answers to Shami's probing lengths.

Mohammed Shami's inspiring spell made everyone sit up and take notice. Here we take a look at five expert comments after the record-breaking spell.

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#1 "Mohammed Shami hid a ball in his pocket and bowled with his own ball" - Salman Butt

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been accused of using different balls in the ongoing World Cup by former Pakistan cricketer Hasan Raza.

Throwing light on Shami's awe-inspiring spell, Salman Butt took a jibe at Raza while praising the Indian speedster. Speaking in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Butt said:

"Mohammed Shami hid a ball in his pocket and bowled with his own ball. Just ignore the people who say such things. It doesn't make any sense at all. If somebody is doing well, just stand up and applaud."

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#2 "There is an intent to pick up wickets" - Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh showered praise on Mohammed Shami for his consistency after his match-winning spell against New Zealand.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan said:

"He said he was sad when he dropped a catch but after that, the happiness he gave by picking up two wickets in an over, he made up for it. He put in extra effort to do that, which we have seen in every spell Shami has bowled."

"From the first match until now, whenever he comes on to bowl, it seems like the ball will do something," he added. "There is an intent to pick up wickets. When he was bowling the last over as well, he was bowling with that same intent."

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#3 "He should have been played in Manchester but wasn't" - Aakash Chopra

Lauding Shami, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra highlighted that the former was left out of India's playing XI for the semi-final clash against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup.

Chopra talked about the pain in Shami's heart and praised him for bouncing back in style. In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Chopra said:

"We are talking about the Player of the Tournament because batters win you games, it's the bowlers who win you tournaments. He wasn't played in the last semi-final. He should have been played in Manchester but wasn't."

"(MS) Dhoni being left two inches away is talked about but no one talks about the pain in his heart," he added. "When he was played, he picked up seven wickets. He picked up a five-wicket haul against this team earlier and picked up another five-wicket haul as well. He is unstoppable."

Mohammed Shami picked up 14 wickets in four games but wasn't included in the semi-final contest. The Men in Blue suffered a heartbreaking defeat against the Kiwis, losing by 18 runs in Manchester.

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#4 "One of the greatest-ever white-ball bowlers that India have had" - Anil Kumble

The biggest compliment came from former Indian skipper and head coach Anil Kumble, who called Shami one of the greatest white-ball bowlers to ever play for India.

During a discussion on ESPNCricinfo, Kumble remarked:

"He is certainly one of the greatest-ever white-ball bowlers that India have had."

He also added that Hardik Pandya's injury has been a blessing in disguise for the Men in Blue, which has allowed the management to bring in Mohammed Shami.

"It has been a blessing in disguise with Mohammed Shami coming in because of Hardik Pandya's injury," Kumble added. "He has made a massive impact in terms of the way this entire bowling attack is now looking. It's not just about Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah sets the tone like Rohit Sharma does in the batting."

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#5 "Taking 4 or 5 wickets is understandable but 7 is huge" - Wasim Akram

Mohammed Shami got the chance to hone his skills early in his career under the watchful eyes of Wasim Akram at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) camp.

The former Pakistan speedster, who is one of the greatest exponents of swing bowling, is happy to see Shami come this far.

During a discussion on ASports, Akram said:

“He is the sensation. Taking 4 or 5 wickets is understandable but 7 is huge. He has 23 wickets in the ongoing edition and 50 overall. I am happy with the way he has bowled."

Can Mohammed Shami inspire India to their third World Cup title on Sunday? Let us know what you think.