We like pulling legs, but Jasprit Bumrah sometimes takes jokes to the heart: Mohammed Shami

Banter and pranks amongst cricketers are not unknown. From Yuvraj Singh to Harbhajan Singh, the Indian team has had some of the funniest people around, who used to have fun at the expense of their teammates. Even as the team and time change, the pranksters’ faces might change but every team always has some.

Revealing about the current bunch of Indian pacers, Mohammed Shami said that all of them love pulling each other’s leg and poke fun at each other’s expense. Although, he also revealed that some of them take the jokes to heart at times.

In a recent chat with Cricbuzz, Shami revealed that unlike Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah sometimes takes jokes seriously. He said that he and Ishant can spend hours joking around and reminiscing fun times.

We like pulling each other’s leg: Mohammed Shami

“We like pulling each other’s leg. I enjoy it. Bumrah is slightly different, he doesn’t joke around much. He sometimes takes it to heart. But Umesh, Bhuvi, and Ishant – we are a deadly combination.”

The Indian bowling attack is widely regarded as the best currently. Shami said the players understand each other quite well and know how to back each other on the field.

“We’ve been playing as a unit for a few years now,” he said. “Whoever is bowling with, our aim is to leave the other (bowling from the other end) with enough attacking options. If you aren’t liking the way the ball is acting, be defensive and let the other attack. The main thing is we all like to attack. Neither of us likes to be defensive.”

Shami said whenever he’s bowling, his priority is to ensure that whoever is fielding at mid-on must maintain the shine of the ball. “Whoever is at mid-on, he must maintain the ball. This is something that I repeat in every meeting,” he said.

Shami is part of the 20-man India Test squad that is expected to fly out to England on June 2 for the World test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-match series against England.