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India National Cricket Team pacer Mohammed Shami has been out of the team for a long time now. He last featured for the Men in Blue back in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand. Now, in a recent interview, he shared some experiences from the dressing room and religious divides between Hindus and Muslims.
Apart from the dressing room experiences, Mohammed Shami shared insights into political influence on sports development, missed opportunities, and the impact of sports, especially cricket, in India. Shami is looking to make a comeback to the Indian side, as despite repeated good performances, he has been overlooked.
"I never support such things"- Mohammed Shami on religious conflicts
While speaking on Navbharat (Times Now), he was asked whether one of the biggest topics of discussion in the country has been about Hindus and Muslims, and whether he has any view on that and if he thinks that it is true or not. He stated that he does not believe in that and neither does he support such things.
Shami said, "No, I don't. You've probably noticed that I never support such things. If someone wants to criticize me, there should at least be a valid reason. Does anyone have the courage to say something against me on this topic? Many of my closest friends are non-Muslims. It honestly makes no difference to me."
"No. The bigger the platform you reach, the less these things matter. As you rise higher, your identity becomes tied to the country. At that level, you begin to see yourself representing the nation rather than any particular community."
Mohammed Shami breaks silence on whether sports had religious influence
Apart from the religious topics, Mohammed Shami was asked about the impact of sports on youth and whether religious divides cause any kind of problems between the players who are on a team, and cited the example of the Indian Army, who are at the border safeguarding the country, as they do not think of these religious divides and serve as Indians.
Mohammed Shami said, "For example, we're sitting here discussing these issues. But spend just one day at the border, and then I'll tell you. When it comes to the country, these questions don't even arise. The moment you wear your country's badge on your chest, you forget everything else."
"So, these thoughts never really come to your mind." "If I say too much, people will get upset." "But I always say one thing: everyone should support one another."
He continued, "Look, no particular place belongs exclusively to any one community. There is nothing in India that is meant only for one particular group. So I don't think we should keep dragging these issues into every conversation."
Mohammed Shami shares experience of celebrating every festival together
Mohammed Shami also added that everyone in the country celebrates every festival, thinking of their own; from Holi, Eid to Diwali, it has been celebrated all across the country, and if there is any kind of procession, there are no objections as well. He also stated that some people will always find a way to create conflict and try to divide people in terms of religion.
"You tell me—who is actually harming whom? Which person is causing harm to another? I don't think that's the case. Holi, Eid, Diwali—we celebrate all of them. We visit each other during these festivals, and we've never had any problems," he said.
"Here, the Kanwar Yatra passes through, and sometimes one side of the road is completely blocked. We don't object to it. It's your festival—celebrate it happily. We have no problem with that. So instead of using two roads, we'll use one. What's the big difference?"
"But if someone is determined to create conflict, they'll always find a reason. An argument can be started over anything. If you want to debate, you can debate about anything. If you want to start a fight, you can do it over any issue. Some people simply have too much time."
