Tabraiz Shamsi: 'I've always wanted to get the best guy in the opposition out'
The South Africa spinner talks about relishing the chance to go up against England, his prolific 2021, and finding his feet in the national side

Shamsi picked up 36 wickets in T20Is in 2021, the joint most by any bowler in the format in the year • Alex Davidson/Getty Images
It's nice to be here in England - the weather's good for a change! We had about ten days at home after the India series. I feel refreshed - about as much as you can, as much as is possible. You always want more time at home, but at least we got something - other guys don't even get that much. The way the calendar has changed nowadays, you finish a series and the same night you're off to the airport. That's what happened for us when we played India. It's quite refreshing to get to a country and have two warm-up games - that's unheard of.
Just for the record, it's not only against me: they come hard against everyone! I enjoy that because it gives me opportunities to try and pick up more wickets, compared to someone that's trying to be conservative. There'll be some days where you're going to go home sad, but others where you go home very happy. That plays into the way I like to bowl. As a player who believes in himself and a team who believes in themselves, you want to play against the stronger teams; you want to test yourself against a team like England.
From a young age, that's something that's always excited me. Whether it was schools cricket or provincial and first-class cricket, I've always wanted to get the best guy out on the opposition team. England is blessed with many good guys, so that's really exciting for me. It's something I'm proud of when I play: it's a great opportunity to be bowling against very good players and having an opportunity to get them out.
"Skill-wise, some guys are slightly better than others, but I don't think the difference is as big as it is mentally. That's what makes great players great: their mental approach to the game "
I had always been in and out. Obviously Immy [Imran Tahir] was around and he was the man in charge - rightfully so - but I basically feel that my international career started after 2019. Before that, I would play one game, then another one three months later, then another one after two months. You can't get any rhythm. Now, you play on Wednesday and if you make a mistake, you can try and correct that on Friday. You see what works, what doesn't, and then you play again on Sunday. That's the only way I think a player can improve: if he's backed and he's given enough opportunity. I always believed in my abilities but to be able to get that run to actually show the world, "Okay, cool, you know what, this is what this guy can do" - that was quite satisfying for me.
I suppose so, but then again, the game has changed so much. Guys are batting left-handed when they're supposed to be a right-handed batsman, and reverse-whooping fast bowlers. That might previously have been the case when India came through with Kuldeep Yadav, but I think guys have adapted. That's the game: bowlers come up with something and then batsmen innovate. At the end of the day, you have to put the ball in the right area with the right variations, no matter whether you're bowling with the right arm or the left arm. That's the key.
I don't think you get any freebies in international cricket, especially against the stronger teams. My basics don't change whether I'm playing against the guy for the first time or he's played against me a lot. It's more of your prep as a player that gives you confidence. If he's on the field with you playing international cricket, he's a pretty good player.
It's either for you or it's not for you. You get some guys that are mavericks that just want to go out there on feel, but I feel that definitely, for me personally, it gives me an edge in my prep. I am a free-spirited person - you see that with my celebrations and the way I go about life - but if that [analytics] can give you a slight indication of what a batsman might be doing, why not take that opportunity?
It will be footage, stats, wagon wheels - all that stuff is pretty standard in international cricket now. But it's about how you interpret the information. The information can be there and each guy will take whatever works for them. I'm the same: I won't use every piece of information, but I take what I think is relevant for my bowling.
Hundred percent. When you're playing international cricket, there can't be a 70% difference between my skill versus your skill. We're all good players, that's why we've made it that far. It's more of a mental thing. I know I'm a good bowler, you know you're a good batsman. It's about how we tackle each other mentally and who has more faith in their ability and execution. Skill-wise, we're all on a specific level. Yes, some guys are slightly better than others, but I don't think the difference is as big as it is mentally. That's what makes great players great: their mental approach to the game and their belief in their ability.
"Earlier I would play one game, then another three months later. Now you play on Wednesday and if you make a mistake, you can correct that on Friday. That's the only way a player can improve: if he's backed and he's given enough opportunity"
As a squad we're in a good place. There's always things that you're working on and the World Cup is definitely something that's at the back of every team's mind. Funnily enough, now it's easier for people to see that South Africa may have one of the better bowling attacks in the world. I've been saying that for the past 18 months because I'm part of the team. When I look around and see the guy to my left and the guy to my right, I see the composition of the bowling attack and I see a lot of guys that can take wickets. Every single guy in our attack is capable of taking wickets. I can only speak for the bowling group but I feel like we have all our bases covered.
I did! I feel like I've toned them down quite a lot since I became a dad. My philosophy of my celebrations is that you're playing against the best players in the world and it's become our job to be doing it professionally, so that's my way of enjoying myself. All of us started doing this thing because we enjoyed it, then we got good at it because we were having fun, then we got higher and higher and now it becomes more intense because your performances are being scrutinised. Every move you make is being assessed and you're playing because it's your job.
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98