'I saw him standing in the balcony on 19th floor' - Mohammed Shami's friend opens up on pacer's suicidal thoughts

Mohammed Shami is one of the most revered players in Indian cricket, not just because of his exemplary skills with the ball but also for his jovial demeanor. However, the Bengal pacer's close friend, Umesh Kumar, recently opened up about the lowest phase in the pacer's career and it comes as a huge shock to all his fans.

Shami's estranged wife Hasin Jahan had filed for divorce in March 2018 alleging domestic violence and infidelity by the cricketer. However, the pacer denied all the allegations calling the entire saga ‘an attempt to malign his image’. Shami faced another major setback when he was accused of match-fixing by some people after India's loss to Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup. The 33-year-old was also subjected to religious abuse on his social media handles.

"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," said Shami's friend Umesh on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast 'Unplugged'.

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Speaking ahead, Kumar gave his reaction to the reports of the star cricketer attempting suicide and recalled an incident when he saw him anxiously standing on the balcony at night. He went on to reveal that Shami was elated when the match-fixing allegations were confirmed to be baseless by the investigating committee.

"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.

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Shami is currently sweating it out at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru after undergoing successful ankle surgery earlier this year. The ODI World Cup 2023 final was his last appearance for the Men in Blue. He emerged as the highest wicket-taker at the marquee event, helping India finish runners-up. Shami will look to regain full fitness ahead of the Duleep Trophy, which starts on September 4. A strong performance in the prestigious domestic tournament will catapult him into consideration for India comeback during the subsequent two-match Test series against Bangladesh.