Tabraiz Shamsi – South Africa’s New Spin Hope

More than 30 years after their return from isolation, South Africa have only one international trophy to show for their efforts – the inaugural ICC Knockout, now named the Champions Trophy, which was held in 1998. There have been many slip-ups since, and two generations of great players have come and gone without being able to lift the biggest trophies.

Expectations are no longer as high, but as South Africa head into the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, there are hopes that Tabraiz Shamsi’s left-arm leg-spin might provide the X-factor to a team that has often lacked it. After an incredibly successful 2021 in the national team’s colors, Shamsi could well be a game-changer on pitches expected to aid spin bowling.

After they came back to the international cricket fold in 1991, South Africa’s progress was based on aggressive fast bowling and solid batting. The lack of a truly world-class spin bowler often cost them in crunch situations. During the heart-breaking semi-final tie against Australia that cost them a place in the 1999 World Cup final, Shane Warne wrecked their hopes with 4 for 29. South Africa didn’t even play spinners in that match.

That had changed by 2011, when Imran Tahir’s leg-spin was a key part of South Africa’s game plan. He was again central to their hopes in 2015, when Shamsi was his understudy, and four years later in England. With Tahir now no longer part of the plan, the onus is on Shamsi to confuse opposition batters.

It was Shamsi’s performances in the Caribbean T20 League in 2015 that put him in the spotlight and prompted the Bangalore team to bring him to the Indian T20 League in 2016, even before he had made his debut for South Africa. That stint didn’t really showcase the best of his ability, and his next appearance in the competition – with the Rajasthan team in 2021 – was similarly uneventful.

But in T20 competitions at home and elsewhere across the world, Shamsi has built an impressive resume. With the national team, he’s now the top white-ball spinner, having soaked up plenty of knowledge from Tahir. South Africa may not be one of the favorites for the event, but Shamsi, the current No.1 T20I bowler, and his teammates are more than capable of upsetting the odds.

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