New Delhi. Despite tremendous bowling skills, 34-year-old Tabraiz Shamsi has not been able to become a permanent member of the South Africa cricket team. Poor fitness and lack of consistency in performance can be considered the reason for this. 34-year-old ‘Chinaman’ bowler Shamsi has been able to play only 51 ODIs and 69 T20s in 8 years of international cricket so far. Even the best batsmen fail to read the googly of this left-handed wrist spinner Shamsi, but poor fielding and fitness have been a hindrance in his way. This same Shamsi is proving to be South Africa’s main bowler in the T20 World Cup 2024 and is playing an important role in the team’s victory.
Although Anrich Norkia (13) and Kagiso Rabada (12) have taken more wickets than Shamsi, but taking 11 wickets (average 9.27 and strike rate 7.37) in 4 matches less than these two fast bowlers makes Shamsi special. Today again in the first semi-final against Afghanistan (Afghanistan vs South Africa, 1st Semi Final), Shamsi made an impact with his spin and took 3 wickets for 6 runs and made a significant contribution in restricting the opposition team to 56 runs. He bowled just 11 balls in the match and sent Karim Janat, Noor Ahmed and Naveen Ul Haq back to the pavilion. With an easy 9-wicket win in the match, South Africa has made it to the T20 World Cup final for the first time. In the second semi-final today, the Indian team will face England (IND vs ENG).
Shamsi’s journey in the tournament has been full of ups and downs so far. While his performance was top class in 3 out of his 4 matches, he also had to face disgrace due to a very poor performance in one match. The South African team started its campaign in the tournament with a 6-wicket win against Sri Lanka, but Shamsi got a place in the playing XI only in the fourth match against Nepal. Taking full advantage of this match, he took 4 wickets for 19 runs and was the Player of the Match. Later, he also made an impression in the important match against West Indies and again became the Player of the Match by taking three wickets for 27 runs. In this match, he dismissed Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase and Sherfane Rutherford.
There was a ‘washout’ in the match against America
However, between these two matches, Shamsi’s performance also saw a big ‘downfall’. He was thoroughly thrashed against the new American team and despite ‘giving away’ 50 runs in four overs, he was able to take only one wicket. With this bad analysis, the most expensive bowling analysis of the current World Cup was registered in Shamsi’s name. Thanks to Australia’s Marcus Stoinis, who took this ‘unwanted’ record of Shamsi in his name by giving 56 runs in 4 overs in the match against Team India. Shamsi can now be relieved that the record of the most expensive bowling of the T20 World Cup 2024 is no longer in his name.
Shamsi’s performance in the tournament
vs Nepal : 4/19
vs USA : 1/50
Vs West Indies : 3/27
vs Afghanistan : 3/6
Cricket journey is similar to that of Kuldeep Yadav
Shamsi’s cricket journey is similar to that of India’s chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav. Like Kuldeep, Shamsi also used to bowl fast initially but the coach said that he did not have the speed and skill to bowl fast. He was advised to become a spinner. In such a situation, Shamsi started left-handed spin bowling and never looked back. He took 11 wickets in the Caribbean Premier League in 2015 and made it to the Easterns cricket team for this year’s Africa T20 Cup. After this, Shamsi kept making his way to the South African team with his performance. He made his international debut by playing an ODI against Australia on 7 June 2016. In the match, he took one wicket for 36 runs in 8 overs. Shamsi has played two Tests, 51 ODIs and 69 T20 matches so far. He has taken 6 wickets in Tests, 72 in ODIs and 89 in T20Is. His best performance in T20I is 5 wickets for 24 runs. Like Kuldeep, Shamsi also did not get a place in the playing XI in the team’s initial matches in this World Cup.
Pant’s comeback in world cricket from T20 World Cup, Dhoni and other giants lagged behind
The third T20 World Cup has been made memorable so far
This is Tabrez Shamsi’s third World Cup. In 11 matches of the tournament, Shamsi has so far taken 23 wickets at an average of 12.13 and economy of 6.83. He has also been a part of the South African team in 2021 and 2022. In the 2021 World Cup, he took 8 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 15.12 and in the 2022 World Cup, he took 4 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 14.00. In the current World Cup, so far in 4 matches, he has taken 11 wickets for 102 runs in 13.5 overs. During this, his bowling average has been 9.27, economy 7.37 and strike rate 7.5. He can prove to be the trump card of the South African team’s bowling in the final as well.
He has also been in the news due to his signature style of celebrating
Shamsi once became famous for his style of celebrating after taking a wicket. After getting a batsman out, he used to take out his shoe and put it on his ear as if he was talking to someone on the mobile. Videos of his signature style of celebration had gone viral on social media at one time. However, after the controversy over this style, he has now stopped celebrating in this manner.
Tags: ICC T20 world cup, ind vs eng, india vs england, south africa, cricket, T20 World Cup
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 27, 2024, 11:50 IST