MYSTERY MAN WHO IS NO.1
AUSTRALIA faces the world No.1 T20 bowler in its crucial opening match of the World Cup.
His name is Tabraiz Shamsi. Doesn’t ring a bell?
No wonder. He’s played only one white-ball game in Australia, three years ago, bowling two overs of left-arm lollipops on the Gold Coast.
The South African’s return that night at Carrara was 2-0-12-1. Hardly a memorable haul. He was man-of-thematch for those seven minutes of toil.
The 31-year-old has gone on to forge a decent career and supposedly become the globe’s most lethal and deceptive T20 bowler.
Shamsi is a bustling left-arm wrist spinner who stands in the way of Australia getting off to a flyer on Saturday night.
His highlights reel includes plenty of skidding lbw verdicts. Mystery balls from a mysterious figure.
Former West Indies legspinner Samuel Badree went 4-1-16-2 with the new ball in the 2016 World Cup final.
“When it comes to the best spinner at the T20 World Cup, it‘s hard to look past Tabraiz Shamsi,” Badree wrote on Monday. “The South African is ranked No.1 for a reason and as a left-armer, he poses a significant challenge for batters.
“Left-arm wrist spinners are rare in international cricket – he’s very consistent, can turn the ball both ways and has tremendous control.
“I saw him recently in the Caribbean when South Africa played the West Indies and he was able to spin webs around the West Indian batters.”