'When the fixing allegations broke, he was shattered' - Mohammed Shami's friend recalls when India star contemplated suicide

Mohammed Shami's friend Umesh Kumar has revealed the hardship his friend went through when he found himself in the middle of a number of off-field controversies.

The right-arm pacer has enjoyed good success across formats in international cricket in recent years. In the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons, Mohammed Shami helped India win a historic Test series in Australia. In the 2019 World Cup, he had picked up an impressive 14 wickets from just 4 games as India reached the semifinals.

Last year, he starred with the ball in the ODI World Cup once again and cemented his legacy as one of the best bowlers in the tournament. Even though he did not play in the first four games, Mohammed Shami finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker, taking a staggering 24 wickets in just 7 games with the help of 3 five-wicket hauls.

While things have gone really well for Mohammed Shami in the last 5-6 years, the situation was not the same during the 2017-18 phase. He found himself in the news for all the wrong reasons as his estranged wife leveled allegations of not only domestic abuse but match-fixing as well. Following the big controversy, he had lost his central contract as well.

Shami was fighting with everything: Umesh Kumar

Recalling that phase, Umesh Kumar has opened up on how the Indian star dealt with the allegations and the controversies. He revealed that his friend was fighting with everything during that phase and was absolutely shattered when the fixing allegations were leveled against him.

"Shami was fighting with everything during that phase. He lived with me in my house. But when the fixing allegations with Pakistan broke, and led to a probe that night, he was shattered. He said that I can tolerate everything but not allegations of betraying my country," Umesh Yadav said on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast 'Unplugged'.

"It also came in the news that he wanted to do something drastic that night [end his life]. It was around 4 AM in the morning when I got up to drink water. I was on my way to the kitchen when I saw that he was standing on the balcony. It was the 19th floor we were living in. I understood what happened.

"That night of Shami's career, I feel, was the longest. Later, one day, when we were talking, he got a message on his phone saying he got a clean chit from the committee that was investigating the matter. He was probably happier that day than he would have been if he had won a World Cup," he added.

Shami showed remarkable composure and bravery to turn things around and get his career back on track. At present, he is working on his fitness to make his much-awaited return to action.