“The guys have been really smart with the lines and lengths that they’ve bowled after the first game,” said Proteas spinner, and Player of the Match in the third T20, Tabraiz Shamsi, after South Africa clinched the third T20 against the West Indies by one run.

After posting 167 in 20 overs, thanks to a majestic 72 off 51 by Quinton de Kock, Shamsi led South Africa’s bowling effort, conceding 13 runs in his four overs, and taking the key wicket of Evin Lewis. Shamsi was able to stem the scoring rate of the West Indian batsmen, given that 11 deliveries in his four overs were dot balls.

Shamsi’s preparation has been instrumental to his success, and his returns in this series are a reflection of it. “I like to do a lot of homework. I’ve always been someone who likes to look at a lot of footage and spend a lot of time – whether I’ve bowled well or whether I’ve bowled badly – just watch my footage after the game to see how the guys played me.”

Although it appears as if South Africa have posted below-par scores in the three games played so far, Shamsi said, “It is a bit difficult to keep going when the ball gets older. They bowled a lot of slower balls, so it does get harder to hit.” The first game, in which the West Indies hit 15 sixes in 15 overs, was an exception because the rain made the pitch easier to bat on.

“The first game, we had a lot of rain, it kept on juicing it up. It might have been a factor in the way they batted. Chasing our score down so quickly. The ball was skidding on, but I think that’s just the nature of Caribbean wickets.”

While South Africa are in the box seat with a 2-1 lead, neither Shamsi nor the rest of the South African team will take the West Indies lightly. “If you take any of their big four players that have been playing T20s for years, they’ve got more runs than our whole team put together, more wickets than our whole team put together.”

In addition to an improved execution of skills, South Africa’s winning performance was also a tribute to Mr Goolam Rajah, who succumbed to COVID-19 complications yesterday.

Mr Rajah was South Africa’s Team Manager from 1992 to 2011 and was often described as a “father figure” in the dressing room. Shamsi also paid a tribute to Mr Rajah, “He was a great man, definitely his contribution to Cricket South Africa has been immense.”

*Cricket Fanatics Magazine pays its respects to Mr Goolam Rajah. By all accounts, Mr Rajah was an inspirational figure in the post-unity period in South African cricket and a loved Team Manager. We offer our heartfelt condolences to Mr Rajah’s family.