Tabraiz Shamsi has attributed the ‘fun factor’ as the reason behind his success on the field following an impressive debut against Australia on Tuesday.
The 26 year-old says he ‘couldn’t have asked for a better start’ to his international career, after proving to be a handful for the Australian batsmen with tidy figures of 1-36 in eight overs.
‘As a child, when you start playing the game you play the game because you love it,’ Shamsi said in St Kitts on Thursday. ‘As you grow older and move into the professional environment there is a lot of pressure based on performances and a lot of people scrutinising you. In all of that you tend to forget the fun factor; that is one thing that I never want to forget. Every game that you play could be your last, I want to enjoy every game that I play.
‘I couldn’t have asked for a better start, but the most important part was that we got the win. AB [De Villiers] didn’t give me a chance to get nervous, he gave me the ball and said I would be bowling that over. He threw me in the deep end,’ he laughed.
Shamsi shot into the limelight following his debut appearance for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League [CPL] last season, where he finished as their leading wicket-taker. He has credited a lot of his confidence and self-belief to the league tournaments around the world and the assistance from Proteas leg-spinner, Imran Tahir.
‘Tournaments like the CPL and IPL certainly do help,’ he said. ‘Playing against quality players around the world gives you the confidence. Ultimately it’s all about the mental side of things, that gives you a bit of an edge.
‘Imran has been a world-class performer for many years,’ he enthused. ‘He has been a big help for me, not just on this tour but also over the last couple of years. I am always on his case, asking him for tips, he has performed at such a high level, that could only help my game. Huge credit must go to him, as well as the coaching staff, who have been great with me, every little tip you can get is useful.’
The Proteas arrived in St Kitts for the second leg of the Tri-Nation ODI series and will face Australia on Saturday at a slightly smaller and less spin friendly Warner Park.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images
