South Africa has long carried the unwanted tag of ‘chokers,’ but wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi is delighted that the ‘new Proteas’ have managed to overcome this narrative at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Aiden Markram and his men are unbeaten in the tournament, navigating through some tense encounters with narrow victories. They have won by one run (against Nepal), four runs (against Bangladesh), and seven runs (against England). On Sunday, the South Africans maintained their composure to beat the hosts West Indies by three wickets, securing their place in the semifinals.
“Obviously most of the games have been a lot closer than we would have personally liked, but the amazing thing is that this new Proteas team always seems to get over the line,” Shamsi said in the post-match conference. “We’ve been put under huge pressure basically in every single game that we’ve played, and the boys have managed to find a way to win no matter what the situation is, no matter how close the game is. So, that’s really pleasing for us as a unit, and it’s sort of like in a funny way we’re looking forward to it.”
Shamsi faced criticism following a poor performance against the USA, but he was a key architect of South Africa’s victory over West Indies, claiming figures of 3/27. “It’s a double-edged sword right – the previous game I bowled later in the innings and I went for 50, and there was certain critics coming out from the wood works, speaking about pressure and how I can’t handle pressure and so to speak – I think in a quarterfinal match I hope that was enough pressure for me to respond to.”
Shamsi is aware that he won’t always be at his best. “It’s just a little bit ridiculous when it’s ex-players – when they’re on the field they did the same things now we’re trying our best, so what that’s part of the game right, we got to go out there and do our job. It doesn’t really matter where I’m asked to bowl, whether it’s early on in the innings or at the back end. There’s a specific job that I’ve got to do. And we’ve all played enough cricket to understand that sometimes it will work, on other days it wouldn’t, and somebody else will cover for you, and vice versa. That’s the mentality that we have within the squad. Whoever’s day it is needs to take extra load and cover up for someone that’s maybe not having a good game, and that’s perfectly normal, that’s cricket.”
Having played in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Shamsi has gained valuable insights into the West Indies players, allowing him to strategize their downfall in what was essentially a quarterfinal match. “Fortunately, I’ve been able to play CPL for the last five or six years. And one thing with the West Indian boys, you don’t have to guess what their intent is going to be. So, it sort of helps you formulate a plan.”
