"Not going to sit here and pretend I'm not excited about the IPL" - Tabraiz Shamsi
South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi will embark on his second stint in the IPL next month in the UAE, having been signed as a replacement player by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of Phase 2 of IPL 2021.
Shamsi, signed by RR in place of seamer Andrew Tye, will feature in his second stint at the IPL, having plied his trade for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) back in 2016.
In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, Shamsi expressed his excitement at getting another opportunity in the IPL. He said -
"I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm not excited about (the IPL). I am very excited. Especially because I've never played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The IPL is a different thing. I have played in the past but I was a lot younger and I didn't get a lot of game time regularly. When you get regular game time, you can showcase what you can do."
One of the many South African players who will be a part of IPL 2021, Shamsi also referred to playing in the UAE conditions as an advantage to get a feel of the pitches prior to the upcoming T20 World Cup.
"And from a Proteas' perspective, I'm really happy I got picked up in the IPL because I've never been there and played there. It will be nice if I can play on those pitches and get some inside information and gain some experience; just to be able to pick up some knowledge and information that might help us in the World Cup,"
"South Africa have one of the best bowling attacks in the world" - Tabraiz Shamsi
Tabraiz Shamsi also seemed optimistic about Proteas' chances in the World Cup, claiming they have one of the best bowling units. The Johannesburg-born cricketer highlighted South Africa's depth of talent pool as showcased against the West Indies and Ireland.
"My confidence levels are up. And I believe we have one of the best bowling attacks in the world. All we need is a bit of game time. I'm not saying that because we've won a couple of series back-to-back. The talent in the squad is there. We might be inexperienced at the international level but it doesn't mean that we don't have the skill."
"We showcased that against a very strong West Indies team, and against Ireland. Nobody here wants to lose and I know the people back home don't want to see us losing. So we're pushing it. We just need a bit more time together. The more we play together the better we're going to get."
Before the T20 World Cup though, RR will hope for Shamsi to lead their spin-bowling unit and arrest their inconsistent run. The Royals are fifth in the points table and need a considerable lift to reach the IPL 2021 playoffs.