Spin twins for Zimbabwe?

Friendlier batting conditions in Bloemfontein for the second ODI between South Africa and Zimbabwe today could provide a great opportunity for spinners Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi to bowl together.

There is a school of thought that if England enjoys another dry summer next year, spinners could be crucial at the World Cup and some venues could even justify the selection of both wrist-spinners, especially against sides that have not played them well in the past.

While Tahir has already proven himself as a great ODI bowler, with 141 wickets in 86 ODIs at an economy rate of just 4.68, Shamsi, although showing great promise, has only played 10 ODIs and could clearly do with more experience if he is going to be South Africa’s second spinner at the World Cup.

Tahir is certainly happy to share the stage with his protégé.

“It’s nice to see spinners coming up and Shamsi has done very well, he deserves to be up where he is. It’s lovely to have another mystery spinner available. We do talk a lot and it would be very good to play together. I’m always happy to share my experience, to try and help as much as I can.

“I just want to give what the team requires, that’s more important than personal performance, which is why I don’t want to stay too long, I want to leave the team with respect,” the 39-year-old Tahir said yesterday.

“I also love taking wickets, but if the team needs it then I am happy to stop the game too and sometimes I need to bowl in difficult times as well.”

The Zimbabwe batsmen certainly found the Proteas pacemen difficult to deal with in the first ODI in Kimberley, being bundled out for just 117, so South Africa might just learn more from playing the second spinner ahead of one of the bowling all-rounders – Wiaan Mulder or Andile Phehlukwayo. Having a longer tail might also focus the minds of the batsmen a bit more, after a rather loose display in the first match.

While Zimbabwe are certainly rank underdogs, Tahir believes they will provide a pert enough challenge to the Proteas, certainly one that demands they stay sharp amidst all the World Cup experimentation.

“Zimbabwe are a good enough team, but we are here to win as well and we want to take all our hard work and planning into this second game,” Tahir said.