The Dalhousie Athletic Club is about a kilometre from the venue of the first Test of the India verses West Indies series, Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
It has basic facilities, such as half turf, half cement practice pitch, and a field of wild grass for a cricket ground. Dalhousie is not a top cricket club.
Six years ago, Sumon Chakraborty of Dalhousie Club called Debabrata Das of Town Club, and suggested that he come along to Rajasthan Club, to run the eye over a young fast bowler.
When Das, who had formerly been an assistant secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal, asked why there was such a hurry, he was told that the fast bowler was a pearl, who would get lost.
He rushed to the ground in 20 minutes, and despite there being 10-15 players practicising, was easily able to identify the pearl.
Shami had displayed pace when playing for Dalhousie, Chakraborty felt that the bowler needed to play for a bigger club if he was to fulfil his potential.
The bowler took four wickets in the first innings of his Test debut at Edens Gardens, and followed up with a five-for in the second, and at the following press conference, the player made a special point of thanking his parents who had been so supportive in his young formative years, without applying any pressure to the young man.
Just last Friday, Shami, roared on by 30,000 Kolkatans, destroyed the West Indies batting, stealing the show from Sachin Tendulkar, playing his 199th Test match. This was how Test cricket used to be supported by the adoring Indian public, before the surplus of one-day and T20 cricket.
Watching in Sahaspur, Shami’s family saw their faith repaid. Tousif is now known as Shami’s father, and he is proud of everything that his son has achieved in such a short space of time.