‘Bowlers are there to spoil T20 party’
NEWDELHI: South Africa’s left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi feels that T20 is a batsmen’s format in which bowlers like him are there to “spoil the party”, which the fans come for. The 29-year-old had decent figures of 1/19 in three overs during the second T20 International in Mohali and is now looking forward to drawing the series level at the Chinnaswamy Stadium which used to be his “home ground” a couple of seasons back. Shamsi used to play for the local IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“I feel it puts all the more pressure on the batsman to go out there and do what people want to see. So as bowlers, we are just there to spoil the party and make sure that we execute our plans well,” Shamsi, who has played 17 ODIS and 15 T20 Internationals for the Proteas, told PTI in an interview. The third and final T20 is scheduled to be held here on Sunday.
“Chinnaswamy is a small stadium and I mean it’s a T20 series, so people obviously are coming there to see batsmen hit fours and sixes. They are not there to see you bowl a maiden over and that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
Shamsi’s stint at RCB has helped him grow as a cricketer with the likes of Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle providing him useful tips.
“Definitely, it helps when you are around speaking to worldclass players like Virat, Gayle and Shane Watson. The world of cricket is shrinking in the sense that everyone is ready to share knowledge,” he said.
“You will find senior South African fast bowlers imparting knowledge to Indian fast bowlers and vice-versa. Being familiar with surroundings while playing for RCB will certainly help,” feels Shamsi. South Africa, for a number of years, had Imran Tahir as their premier wrist spinner and Shamsi looks at it as a challenge rather than responsibility to rise to the occasion.
“I don’t see this as an additional responsibility. When Immy (Tahir’s nickname) was there in the team, my job was to do what’s best for the team and obviously with him not being there, I am the only wrist spinner in the team.
“But I have not shied away from challenges and India is another one of those,” said the burly spinner.