Rookie South Africa chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi talks about his variations, his “bus driver” celebration, and debut IPL season
Jonhenry Wilson20-May-2016How does a left-arm wristspinner combat the inventive batting and premeditation produced by the likes of David Warner and others at the IPL?
Bowling to a guy like AB de Villiers can do plenty for your confidence, and help your game plans for match time. One does need to combat the unorthodox shots that players like him play, so I enjoy the challenge. The IPL, in that respect, has been very good for me, being in a squad with guys like AB, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle. They’ve been there, done that, they’ve seen a lot during their great careers, and I am able to learn from that and them. It will only help my development as a spin bowler.Without giving too much away, run us through your repertoire of bowling variations.
I’m always working on them. I’ve got my standard deliveries and my chinaman, which is the googly. I’ve got the slider and I’m actually working on the flipper. The flipper is a tough ball to learn to bowl, but I’m keen to add it to the mix and make myself a better cricketer. I am a big believer in not having too many tricks, but the ones you do have, do them well, and eventually perfect them. Royal Challengers Bangalore are full of batting superstars but evidently they are light on bowlers this year.
I don’t necessarily agree with that. You need a bit of luck in T20 cricket. Some of our defeats have been very close, not one-sided cricket. The small outfields, in Bangalore and others, are a factor – when teams are unable to successfully defend scores and get beaten, that’s not often considered. We have some of the set game plans we’ve put in place – and we try to execute them.
“The first-class cricket we have is definitely appropriate for a Test team that wants to be No. 1 again”
You are still establishing yourself as a player at RCB, but do you make the time to also mentor the other spinners in the squad?
Some of the younger spinners speak to me, we share insights and take things from there. I’m happy with that. I remember how Imran Tahir helped me back in the day, at Easterns. The stuff I picked up from him, and other things I’ve understood and practised along the way, I’m able to impart to the youngsters at RCB now.Your characteristic “bus driver” celebrations have pleased some and peeved others.
I think the media and others made a big thing of it. I don’t think it’s a big deal, it’s just something I do. My team-mates enjoy it and don’t have a problem with it. I am just concentrating on my bowling and having fun. At this level, you are always under pressure to perform – and it’s good to remember to have fun. When you are a small child, falling in love with the game, you do it for the fun. In the IPL, or playing for my country or franchise, wherever I am, I am just trying to enjoy it. The bus driver celebration is pretty much just part of that.The possibility of a mid-tournament player draft for future IPLs is gaining traction.
I think it could be a great thing to do. We see it back home too, when franchise players are unable to get into the Titans squad because the squad is so strong, so they go play for the amateur side, or franchises loan players. We’ve seen at the IPL a guy like [Chris] Gayle not getting into the XI for a particular period. He would walk into any other team, so perhaps a draft or loan system of some sort could work.”The flipper is a tough ball to learn to bowl, but I’m keen to add it to the mix”•BCCIAside from Daniel Vettori at RCB, which other coaches have been particularly influential on your career?
The son of the former international umpire Cyril Mitchley was probably my first ever proper coach. He was the first to help me understand my game and progress quite a bit.Then there was Grant Morgan. Grant recently signed on as Dolphins’ head coach, but I’ve worked with him a lot over the years. We worked together at Gauteng, where I got my first opportunity at first-class level back in 2009. He was the first guy who basically backed me, and we are very close now.Then Rob Walter at Titans. He has encouraged me to keep pushing myself to get better and better with each day. He never lets you rest on your laurels, he is a big motivator. He always wants the bar put higher and higher. If you’re giving 100%, he wants 200. As a player, when there is a coach expecting things like that, it’s a great place to be.Hasn’t Marlon Samuels had a big impact on you too?
I consider Marlon a big influence. We played against each other during a tour match in South Africa last year. After seeing me play just once, he noticed my ability and from there that’s how I got linked up at the Caribbean Premier League. The confidence gained through the CPL has set me up from there. When nobody else on the world stage really knew of me, he did.As the leading wicket-taker for Titans, who won the 2015-16 Sunfoil Series, do you consider yourself well placed to comment on the level of first-class cricket being produced by a country which has slipped from first to sixth in the Test rankings?
The four-day cricket scene in South Africa, in my experience, remains one of the best in the world. People will always express their opinions about why it might not be, but South African cricket is still in very good hands. The first-class cricket we have is definitely appropriate for a Test team that wants to be No. 1 again.
“The confidence gained through the CPL has set me up from there. When nobody else on the world stage really knew of me, he did”On Marlon Samuels
After the IPL, you’ll head to the Caribbean for your first tour with South Africa. Are you starting to think about the possibilities and expectations already?
I’m not thinking too much about getting into the playing XI yet. I’m just happy to be in the squad at the moment. If or when the opportunity comes along, I want to be able to do a good job, in line with what the expectations are of me, and the game plan. Being in a squad with two other spinners, Aaron Phangiso and Imran, that’s exciting – hopefully we can pull together well. For me personally, I don’t think I will have a different way in which I approach the Australian or the West Indies batsmen during this ODI tri-series. It’s about sticking to overall game plans, not necessarily having a different approach for each team.You’ll be banking on the experienced gained in the IPL this year and the Caribbean Premier League last year to serve you well in Guyana and surrounds, though?
Having watched the [2016] World T20 from home, I was excited to get involved in the IPL, and thankfully did in the end. I knew the conditions were going to be good for spin, and not always just batsmen-friendly like other parts of the world. I think the conditions in the Caribbean are going to be this way too, with a bit more turn than usual. The challenge is there, and hopefully I will be able to make things work.