After a respectable collective effort from the Proteas bowlers in the first T20I, Tabraiz Shamsi reflected on his groundbreaking recent success in the shorter formats.

It’s been quite an appreciable upward trend for the left-arm wrist spinner. From the fringes of the team to becoming the mainstay frontline spinner, he’s found his modus operandi to succeed.

First of all, his main objective is to ensure that he puts together meaningful contributions every time he’s given a chance.

“I’m not necessarily too fussed about taking wickets,” said Shamsi. “If we look at the West Indies series, I had a different role to play because they had so many big hitters. My job was to keep things quiet, and the only thing that’s in my control is where and how I bowl. Wickets aren’t a given, and that depends on how the batters play. In the Caribbean, I was over the moon about how I went there.”

The series win against the West Indies not only was a confidence boost for Shamsi, but it further enhanced the Proteas’ self-belief and the notion that they can and will be able to take down top sides via well-rounded contributions all across. Shamsi had an aggregate economy rate of 4 – that’s right.

When it comes to his approach, he likes to keep things simple. He strongly believes that wickets are incidental, and that consistency issues can be improved as and when he gets a chance to play more and more games at the highest level.

“Everything comes with experience and practice,” quipped Shamsi. “Ever since I began playing regularly for South Africa, I’ve always wanted to gain more and more experience at international level.

“By the way at the moment, I still don’t have a whole lot of experience. If I’m not taking wickets, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve matured as a cricketer and I accept the fact that my role is very flexible.”

Shamsi has been known to be a very passionate character when he’s on the field, with all kinds of entertaining celebrations. He likes to keep the atmosphere lighthearted, and at the same time, maintain the intensity.

“Yeah, I began as a seamer, and then coaches told me I wasn’t that quick. But I’ve seen guys like Allan Donald, Dale Steyn, and Andre Nel, to name a few. All these guys were naturally aggressive. For me, I like to do whatever it takes to help us win games. I’m one of the guys in the team who’s in charge of ensuring that we never back down. And I’m happy that the team as a whole is playing like that.”

While Shamsi has been raking in the wickets, he admits that the pressure created earlier on by the bowlers before him play a major role in facilitating the task at hand.

“Definitely, it always helps when there are wickets early on and if there aren’t, then my job becomes harder. Normally whenever I’ve done well, the bowlers before me have done well. During this game, Ireland were already 4 down before I even bowled a ball, so as a result, my job was relatively easier.”

Regular game time for South Africa has been a catalyst for change for Shamsi. Since the end of the World Cup, the spinner has drastically improved – so much so that he’s now touted as the lead spinner in white-ball cricket for the national side.

“Fortunately, it’s nice to get frequent game time. Earlier on for me, I played one game and then the next game a couple of months down the road. I’m not arguing against that or anything, but I’ve definitely been able to learn from my mistakes in a shorter space of time [when game time for me has been maximized].

“Ultimately, you have to keep toiling hard, and you’ll have to accept the reality that there will be occasions when things don’t go as planned. You need to always do your best to pitch in – if not with your skillset, then contribute behind the scenes.”

Bubble fatigue has been a prevalent topic of discussion off the field, and it’s affected everyone to varying degrees. It’s been mentally taxing, and winning games and series has lessened the concerns and homesick feelings.

“Well, we haven’t seen our families in nearly two months. From a cricketing perspective, I’m doing alright, but we’re all human beings at the end of the day. Everyone’s been away from home for a while and that poses its challenges.

“However, the onus is on us to make do with it and perform, and as a result, we’ll bring back the happiness that everyone’s achieved together and try to help one another out.”

Finally, Shamsi has been the top-ranked T20 international bowler for a few months, and when asked for it, he had the following to say:

“First of all, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t aware that I’m the #1 T20I bowler. Then again, it’s not something I really lose sleep on, but it feels amazing to be in the top. Honestly, I don’t quite feel I’m the best bowler in this Proteas side. Rankings aren’t necessarily everything, since even the best of us can have a bad day if we’re not on top of our game.”

Shamsi’s modesty and unwavering focus on his game has created a positive impact for the South Africans. He and Linde in tandem have proven to be a formidable spin duo, and given the venue of the T20 World Cup, they could prove to be more than just a handful.

There are another two games left in this series, and Shamsi will look to continue adding to his wickets tally, right from where he left off.