With just a day to go until the start of the SA20 competition, Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has expressed his excitement about the new league.
Shamsi, who was not long ago the number one bowler in the world in T20 cricket, will play for Paarl Royals and their opening match on Tuesday in Cape Town against the “PSG” of the league, MI Cape Town.
‘He’s ‘PSG’ from SA20′
“Obviously they have assembled a squad as good as we have,” Shamsi said of the Cape Town-based team that includes Rashid Khan, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Jofra Archer and youngster Dewald Brevis.
“There’s a joke that says he’s PSG (Paris Saint-Germain’s star-studded football club) from the SA20, that’s why everyone’s looking at him.
“I think he’s the one we want to win this whole thing and blow everybody out of the park. Well, we’ll just do our own thing and follow our process, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m looking forward to a tough game on Tuesday.
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The Royals field team means well. Apart from Shamsi, coach JP Duminiy could call on captain David Miller, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Jos Buttler and Lungi Ngidi.
Shamsi said he was happy to be a part of the Royals family again, having played for Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals earlier.
‘Experience is very important’
“It is great to be back with the Royals franchise, having also played in the IPL. At Paarl Royals, I feel we have a very good squad that is balanced with the right mix of youth and experience.
“Another aspect is that we have a lot of winners in our team, who have won big titles around the world, for example the World Cup or the IPL, so the experience is huge in those pressure situations.”
The Proteas spinner added that he was looking forward to the challenge of going up against some of the best players in the game, on various South African wickets.
“I’m a person who likes a challenge. Obviously there is a responsibility for every player and that’s why we are in this high-performance team. Having played for many years, I also know that it’s not going to be your day every day, but I always try to give the best and want to be the one who can help the team win.
“I think we’re going to get a mix of them all with different grounds that help the seamers and the spinners. If you look at the six places we’re going to use, three of us will help seam and three will help spin. So, there will be a good balance between the bats and the ball is also around the field, and we can expect some exciting games.
Tuesday’s opening starts at 5:30 p.m.