NEW DELHI: The delivery 7.3 during the second innings of the Mumbai Indians versus Gujarat Giants match on Saturday will stay for a while with Shabnam Shakil. The Gujarat pacer had just dismissed Nat-Sciver Brunt to take her first wicket in the Women’s Premier League.
Not many would remember her next delivery though. A full delivery on the stumps was flicked by Harmanpreet Kaur, who would go on and help MI win the last-over thriller, for a single. The speed of the delivery read 109.4 KPH. Now, in a WPL season where Shabnim Ismail bowled the fasted recorded delivery — 132.1 KPH — by a female pacer it might not seem as much. But when one realises that Shabnam is only 16, then it hits you what Indian cricket has in the Andhra pacer — a prospective fast-bowling star in the making.
This is not an exaggeration. Shabnam would go on to operate between 103-108 KPH against Mumbai Indians. To put things into context, the fastest delivery in India international Meghana Singh’s over, immediately after Shabnam clocked 109.4 KPH, was 105.6 KPH. Although Shabnam would go over 10 runs in that match, the youngster showed signs of promise. Something that her childhood coach P Nagaraju is not surprised about.
Hailing from Visakhapatnam, 2007-born Shabnam turned up at the VCA Academy at the NAD grounds in Visakhapatnam when she was nine. Although she first wanted to be a batter, it did not take long for her to fall in love with fast bowling. Her father Mohammed Shakil, a central government employee, showed her videos of Brett Lee and Jasprit Bumrah, turning her attention towards fast bowling.
Nagaraju remembers Shabnam telling him that she wants to bowl with a long run-up. Although he was excited, Nagaraju suggested her to keep a sufficient run-up so that she does not strain herself. “She was a natural athlete,” he recalls. “Over the years, she adapted to bowling from 21 yards, and at the moment she has a 83-88ft run-up. She walks a bit early before taking steam,” he says.
Ask him where her pace comes from, the first word that comes from Nagaraju is “intent”. “You must have the intent to bowl fast,” he says. Shabnam’s intent comes from watching her father, who also used to be a pacer. But above anything, the joy of beating the batter with sheer pace fascinated her the most. The intent was only the first part. The work she had put in from a young age only added to it. She used to start the day at 5 AM, practice till 8.45 before school, then go back to training after school till 8 PM. Another hour and a half of fitness and then back to home. Years of sticking to the routine has built her up as a pacer.
However, she could not have done it without a support system — her coaches and parents. “I really appreciate her efforts and parents also. They are very supportive. Even Satish Reddy, the trainer who is working with her. There are so many factors that went into increasing her pace. She is a hard worker and she can learn technical things quickly. I cannot say one negative thing about her,” says Nagaraju.
If the spell against Mumbai was only a teaser, on Monday, Shabnam would lit up the Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi. Defending a total of 153 against UP Warriorz, Shabnam did not take long to make an impact, dismissing Alyssa Healy with a 103 KPH inswinger — something that comes to her naturally — in the first over. She would go on to send back Chamari Athapaththu, and Shweta Sehrawat, finishing her four overs with 3/13. The Giants beat UP Warriorz by eight runs.
Shabnam bowled 19 dot balls in a spell where she was operating between 103-108 KPH consistently. Such was her performance that former India women’s coach WV Raman would say on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying,” Shakil is a very good prospect, the system should invest in her.”
Nagaraju says that quite a few people are working with her from Andhra Cricket Association to other veteran coaches in the system. “From the age group, we all helped. My mentor J Krishna Rao, has also worked with her. Bharat Arun sir also worked with her, she went to Coaching Beyond Academy. R Sridhar sir also knows her. She is in good hands. All our valuable information is going towards her. I hope she plays for long in the future,” Nagaraju said. Indian cricket would be hoping the same as well.
Brief Score: GG 152/8 in 20 ovs (Mooney 74 n.o) bt UPW 144/5 in 20 ovs (Deepti 88 n.o, Shabnam 3/11)