Shamsi on Ireland ODIs: ‘I’m happy to play supporting role’

The rainy weather and the grassy fields of Ireland are obviously not going to be very conducive to spin-bowling, but Tabraiz Shamsi said on Friday that he is content to just play a supporting role in the Proteas’ ODI series that starts on Sunday, following his heroics in the West Indies.

Shamsi was deservedly named player of the series as South Africa beat a powerful West Indies side 3-2 in their T20 rubber, conceding just 80 runs in the 20 overs he bowled and taking seven wickets in an incredible display that fully justified his ranking as the No 1 bowler in the shortest format.

The top six ODI wicket-takers at Malahide are all pace bowlers.

“There’s a definite change in the weather from the Caribbean to here, it’s quite gloomy and cold, and there’s definitely a lot in it for the fast bowlers,” Shamsi said from Dublin.

“The pitch in training has been offering seam movement, so that’s a change from Grenada, and it’s going to be nice to see them offload.

Adjust to conditions

“My preparation doesn’t really change, but maybe I’ll have more of a minimal role in this series and I’m comfortable with that. It’s not just about me taking wickets all the time, I have to be able to adjust and sometimes just hold the game.

“I see that differently now that I am older and more mature. If I don’t take wickets then it doesn’t mean I haven’t been successful.”

While a series against Ireland, who South Africa have beaten in all five of their previous ODIs (the last two by margins of greater than 200 runs) and who are ranked 12^th in the world, may seem like a one-sided exercise to some; the fact that every ODI now counts towards World Cup qualification ensures the integrity of these sort of match-ups and the hunger of the Proteas to continue the improved form they showed in the West Indies should lead to a good contest.

World Cup qualification

“It’s been a while since we played ODI cricket, but the World Cup is in a couple of years and the important thing is the points we need to qualify. So you have to try and win as many games as possible,” Shamsi said.

“What we have done in the West Indies is now gone and it’s no secret that we have not had much success in the recent past; we are on a good roll now and we want to keep that.

“The quality is there in our team, we are just a bit inexperienced and need more games together. And we don’t like losing plus we know people back home don’t like watching us lose, so we will be pushing hard and trying everything in our power to keep winning. That’s the only way to build confidence and we just ask for patience while we do that.”