Chinaman bowlers are very close to my heart and it was my utmost pleasure to interview Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa, the current No.1 bowler in T20 format.
He is currently playing in Sri Lanka and won the Man of the Match in the second T20 match against the Islanders for picking up three crucial wickets.
Shamsi was first picked by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016 and he enjoyed playing in front of the huge crowd in India. He was very excited to bowl to MS Dhoni, whom he regards as the best finisher in the world.
When I asked him which batsman is more dangerous, he said Andre Russell - with whom he has had many battles in the Caribbean Premier League - where sometimes he has got the better of him while on some days, the giant West Indian had taken him to cleaners. He recollected a game when he had already started celebrating after Russell skied the ball. Unfortunately, the fielder dropped the catch and from there onwards, it was carnage as Russell hit him for five sixes.
His chemistry with Imran Tahir is very special as he has learnt a lot from the veteran and loves the veteran’s passion for the game even even at the age of 42.
Shamsi has different styles of celebration on picking a wicket and being asked about it, he said T20 games are fun and crowd likes to see some antics but he would never do it in a Test match as a respect to the traditional form of cricket.
He says he learns from a bad game than a good spell and feels every game is a new one and loves the challenges which comes with it.
This time, Shamsi has been picked by Rajasthan Royals and he is looking forward to playing in the UAE - which will also help him prepare for the T20 World Cup - which too is happening in the UAE. The experience of thse two months, according to Shamsi, will help him add to his guile and variations.
Cricket enthusiast and businessman Anis Sajan is Vice Chairman of Danube Group
