"Kaash mai waha hota… kuch kar pata" — a recovering Mohammed Shami uttered these words repeatedly to his coach as he watched India struggle during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Today, that long wait for him will come to an end.
It's not entirely a new setup because Baz (McCullum) has been involved for a while. A lot of players in this squad have worked with him in the Test team over the years. I'm looking forward to building that relationship in the white-ball format. England have travelled to India with a full-strength squad, featuring pace spearheads Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. Sometimes there's so much cricket that certain players need to be rested or managed, but that's not the case for us in this series. We've got a full complement of players, which is really exciting. With Baz joining the white-ball setup for the first time, there's plenty to look forward to here and now, I think we're really blessed with the bowlers on this tour. They're all very capable batsmen too. If you look at someone like Gus Atkinson, who has a Test hundred, Brydon Carson is a fantastic hitter, and even Adil Rashid, sometimes batting at 11, has multiple first-class centuries.
I've had the privilege of spending a lot of time with him (at Kolkata Knight Riders). I know how he works. Without saying a word, he can read your mind. His coaching style is very simple. He gives us a lot of freedom and allows players to express themselves. He keeps everything straightforward and understands what's going on in the minds of the players. He ensures a light, relaxed atmosphere in the dressing room, which helps players perform at their best. We're definitely moving in the right direction.