Proteas in a buzz over spin weapon
Three quality spinners, and part-timer Markram, give Proteas options in upcoming World Cup
Tabraiz Shamsi, the world’s top-ranked T20 bowler, says the options the Proteas have in their spin department will stand the team in good stead on the flat and spinning surfaces at October’s World Cup. Spinners Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Shamsi and part-timer Aiden Markram shared nine wickets among them as the Proteas made light work of Sri Lanka, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of Tuesday’s third and final match.
Tabraiz Shamsi, the world’s topranked T20 bowler, says the options the Proteas have in their spin department will stand the team in good stead on the flat and spinning surfaces at October’s World Cup.
Spinners Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Shamsi and part-timer Aiden Markram shared nine wickets among them as the Proteas made light work of Sri Lanka, smashing their hosts by a nine-wicket margin with 35 balls remaining in Colombo on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of Tuesday’s third and final match.
While Shamsi, Fortuin and Maharaj are specialist left-arm spinners, Markram has been used as a fourth spinner and contributed handsomely with his part-time off-breaks, taking three wickets for just 21 runs in his allotted four overs before scoring an unbeaten 21.
Markram’s contribution with the ball in hand has become as important as his batting, aiding the team’s balance.
“Aiden was unbelievable again today, taking three wickets and making runs. It is definitely a bonus for us,” Shamsi said.
There is a growing buzz in the Proteas camp about the team’s ability to play well in flat and spinning conditions and Shamsi welcomed the increasing tendency of fielding as many as four spinners.
“It’s been very nice because we have that many quality spinners. Generally, maybe in the past, when we got to a spinning wicket, maybe we had a reluctance to pick spinners.
“So that has been a refreshing change. We are picking teams according to the conditions and we have the players to back it up. We have three quality [specialist] spinners in the squad plus Aiden. So I think that is really nice.
“It just gives us options, whereas maybe previously we just had eight overs of spin.”
Shamsi said the team has worked hard over the past few months to improve their ability to play spin.
“Obviously Sri Lanka had prepared spinning wickets thinking that we have a weakness. Maybe in the past we did, but obviously the boys had done a lot of work behind the scenes over the past couple of months and everyone can see it.
FIRE WITH FIRE
“We have the capability of fighting fire with fire, and that is probably some of the wickets that we might experience during the World Cup,” Shamsi said.
“As you have noticed, even in the ODI series and in this T20 series, we have bowled a majority of spin overs. So it is nice to have that option.”
At the same time Shamsi believes that contrary to popular belief the current players are exceptional and on par with previous generations.
He offered his opinion after Sunday’s victory.
It was the team’s third successive T20 series triumph away from home and their sixth consecutive win, but the Proteas go into their final competitive match before they meet Australia in their World Cup opening match in Abu Dhabi on October 23 with a less than 50% win ratio in the shortest format of the game.
“I think a lot of it is perceptions and the way some people may want to look at the team,” Shamsi said.
Before their tour to Sri Lanka,
the Proteas had won two T20 series on the road: a comefrom-behind 3-2 win over world champions West Indies followed by a 3-0 whitewash of Ireland in June and July.
“I don’t think this team is rubbish. I think we are quite good. I know people speak about great teams of the past but this team is
on par with them,” Shamsi said.
“We might not have as many household names, and I have mentioned previously that it is because we have not played that much international cricket. But it does not mean that the players are not good just because they are not well known.”
The team return home for a
10-day sojourn with their families, but which will include a team camp, before they head off to the T20 World Cup.
The Proteas will play the West Indies on October 26 in Dubai and England on November 6 in Sharjah and will also face off against two yet to be determined qualifiers.