I credit myself for this turnaround after what all I had to suffer: Shami
Manchester: India pacer Mohammed Shami says only he deserves all the credit for his remarkable turnaround as it was "me and only me" who suffered for 18 months.
"Credit? Who else but me. I give full credit to myself," said Shami after India's 125-run victory over West Indies in the World Cup here Thursday, the scribes in the mixed zone taken in by his directness.
Shami has been to hell and back in the last one and half years, fighting accusations of domestic violence. As a result, he was dropped from the BCCI's central contract list pending inquiry, and also sat out a Test match on fitness ground.
But he is now back to his best, asking probing questions to the best in the business with his pace and swing.
"... Because I had to endure all that I was made to go through. What I went through in the past 18 months, it's me and only me who had to suffer. So credit goes to me," Shami said without getting into the details about the nightmare that he had endured.
"Yes, I thank the Almighty for giving me the strength to fight everything from family issues to fitness. I am now only focussed on doing well for my country," said the pacer, who has now taken eight wickets in two games, including a hat-trick.
After two mindblowing performances against Afghanistan and West Indies, Shami said that working on his fitness has been the turning point. He has shed those extra kilos, and more importantly, it has put him in a good head space.
"It wasn't only about failing YoYo test. There are times when your rhythm goes for a toss. I failed that's a separate thing but then I have worked hard and improved my fitness. I feel I am in a good zone now as I have lost weight, got rhythm and everything is working for me.
"I now try to maintain my diet, training regime consistently. Because I am feeling stronger, not getting tired easily, my speed has also increased. And as far as skill is concerned, I always knew I can perform well on any track," he said, the confidence could easily be mistaken as arrogance.
While many thought that it would be the fit Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with his ability to take the ball away from left-handers, but it was Shami who bounced out 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle.
"Since we played IPL together, I have a bit of an idea about him when you play together for some time. I knew that if I don't allow him to chance his arms, he will get out in desperation trying to hit me," he said, the explanation sounding much simpler than his on-field execution.
How did he feel when he wasn't getting chance in the first four games? "Look, 15 people have come to represent the country. You must have had something special that you are in that 15, isn't it? It's about remaining patient and positive. And, yes, have a clever mind.
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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
