IPL 2021: Tabraiz Shamsi 'Very Excited' To Showcase His Skills On UAE Pitches

Tabraiz Shamsi is set for his return to the IPL after four years as he has been picked by the Rajasthan Royals as AJ Tye’s replacement for the remainder of IPL 2021, which will be played in the UAE.

The chinaman played 4 matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016, in which he picked 3 wickets and leaked at over 9 runs an over. Now, a much-improved bowler – he is currently the world’s No.1-ranked ICC T20I bowler – Tabraiz Shamsi is “very excited” to feature once again in the IPL.

He will also play for the first time in the UAE. The 31-year-old wants to showcase his skills on the UAE pitches and wishes to take the learnings further into the T20 World Cup which will follow the IPL.

“I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I’m not excited about (IPL). I am very excited. Especially because I’ve never played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” Tabraiz Shamsi was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“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. You can improve.

“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,” he added.

The Sanju Samson-led side won 3 matches and lost 4 in the first half of the season and are placed fifth on the points table.

South Africa have one of the best bowling attacks in the world: Tabraiz Shamsi

South Africa go into the tournament with some for with T20I series wins over West Indies and Ireland, and will face Sri Lanka next month.

Tabraiz Shamsi reckons they have a strong bowling attack, although a bit inexperienced, and can cause trouble to even the best sides in the World Cup.

“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,” he said.

The Proteas are seeded with Australia, England, and West Indies in Group 1 of the Super 12 stage.

Also Read: Mickey Arthur Gives Befitting Reply To Twitter User Who Trolled Him For Not Congratulating Sri Lankan Players For Bagging IPL Contracts