Left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has decided to forego his national contract with Cricket South Africa (CSA) with immediate effect. This decision will free up time to play in T20 leagues worldwide without national hurdles. However, Shamsi clarified his stand on his availability for selection to the senior teams in major tournaments by South Africa’s white-ball squads.
Shamsi explained, in a statement released by CSA, that he had decided to opt out of his central contract to explore all opportunities during the domestic season with the assurance that he would be able to take care of his family. “This decision will not affect my commitment to the Proteas; I will always be ready to represent my country whenever needed. My dream is to bring the World Cup home to South Africa, and no franchise league can compare to that honor.”
His last match for South Africa was against India in June when South Africa played against India in the T20 World Cup final. He has not played in the ongoing tour of the UAE which consists of Afghanistan and Ireland. The South African team rested several of their senior players in the tour to increase their player pool.
This may be the reason why Shamsi had to leave the CSA contract: He had some previous experiences in T20 leagues. At the beginning of this year, he was withdrawn from PSL for playing with the Titans in the CSA T20 Challenge. He could play only four matches with the Karachi Kings and lost income from the remaining matches.
In a case like that of Shamsi, the cricketer had to be recalled to attend CSA’s awards night during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) although he did not take any individual honors. Historically, CSA would call up contracted players for such events that may or may not coincidentally fall in line with their commitments overseas.
This strategic move by Shamsi opens the window of a vast range of opportunities for him in the high-income generating T20 circuit without having to compromise his passion for representing South Africa on the international stage.
