NEW DELHI: After a narrow six-run win (DLS) for Joburg Super Kings (JSK) over MI Cape Town in a rain-affected SA20 match, Tabraiz Shamsi voiced his thoughts on the challenges faced by bowlers on flat wickets.
Shamsi, who contributed with figures of 1/19 in 3 overs, expressed his lack of sympathy for batters, particularly given the conditions bowlers often have to endure.
“I don’t feel sorry for batters at all because, most of the time, bowlers are the ones bowling on flat wickets with small boundaries. Even today, one side was short, and I think it’s going to be like that throughout the whole SA20,” Shamsi said post-match. “So, if they have to work a little bit harder every now and then, I have zero sympathy for them.”
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Shamsi, who’s known for his skilful wrist-spin, acknowledged the difficulties of bowling with a greasy ball but maintained a sense of humour: “You know, they’ve got to give us something sometimes. I’m also waiting for some spinning wickets.”
Shamsi’s light-hearted quip continued, “Probably not here or at SuperSport Park, but hopefully, at some of the away games, we’ll get some turning pitches. That’s part and parcel of T20 cricket, right? You expect to get smashed for boundaries, but we’re here to spoil the party for the batters.”
Commenting on the match, where bowlers often bear the brunt of the run chase, Shamsi said, “At the back end, it’s always a tough job for bowlers; you always want to go for fewer runs. But on certain days, you can pick up two or three wickets quickly, and on others, you can struggle. That’s just part of it.”
Despite the challenges, Shamsi remained confident in JSK’s efforts and believed in their ability to chase down any target, particularly the 140 set by MI Cape Town.
“However, with the 140 that we had, I personally still felt confident we could chase it down,” he added.
MI Cape Town had earlier been restricted to 140/6, with a remarkable partnership between George Linde (48 not out off 35 balls) and Delano Potgieter (44 not out off 22 balls) rescuing them from a precarious position of 30/4.
Despite a brilliant spell from Kagiso Rabada, JSK ultimately emerged victorious due to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method after rain interrupted play for the second time.
With the win, JSK made an outstanding start to the tournament, and Shamsi remains hopeful for conditions more suited to his bowling style in future encounters.
