A mid-season pick up has Adelaide fans in a spin after three-wicket haul in Perth.
South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has all the makings of the BBL’s latest cult hero, and don’t be surprised if thousands of fans end up taking off their shoes to answer his call.
Shamsi made a stunning BBL debut for the Adelaide Strikers on Sunday night, snaring 3-30 at Optus Stadium in his team’s 33-run loss.
The 35-year-old wasn’t meant to link up with the Strikers until January 7, but they rushed him in early with the hope Perth would struggle against his spin.
Shamsi dismissed Mitch Marsh and Cooper Connolly in his first over, before returning to send Ashton Turner packing – three of the Scorchers’ most dangerous players.
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Shamsi has notched two Tests, 55 ODIs and 70 T20Is for South Africa, and he has vast experience in T20 franchise cricket.
The veteran’s left-arm wrist spin is a proven weapon, and his trademark celebration – taking off a shoe, dialling a number and holding it to his ear in a pretend phone call – has captivated audiences.
Shamsi brought out the celebration when he snared the prized scalp of Marsh.
Australian star Tim David, who is a teammate of Shamsi’s in the Caribbean Premier League, was on commentary duties during Sunday’s match and took off his own shoe to answer the South African’s call.
Strikers fans will have the chance to follow suit on Tuesday night when Shamsi lines up against the Sydney Thunder at Adelaide Oval.
After the loss to Perth, Shamsi explained the reasons behind his unusual celebration.
“There’s a lot of misconceptions that it’s a send-off for the batter, but it’s absolutely not that,” Shamsi said.
“I’m never looking at the batter. It’s just me phoning the third umpire to check if it’s out or not out.”
Perth’s third win on the trot boosted their record to 4-2 ahead of Wednesday night’s clash with the Melbourne Renegades (2-3) in Perth.
The Renegades now boast two of the Scorchers’ greatest ever players – Jason Behrendorff and AJ Tye.
Behrendorff snared four wickets across his opening two games, but has now gone three consecutive matches without a scalp.
Veteran paceman Joel Paris, who started his career at the Scorchers and returned to the club this season following stints with the Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars, can’t wait to welcome back his former teammates.
“They’ve been two amazing players for the orange for a long period of time … two of the (club’s) best,” Paris said.
“Like it always is, the crowd will probably get stuck into them at some stage. It’ll be good fun.”
It remains to be seen whether Scorchers imports Finn Allen (finger) and Laurie Evans (hamstring) will return against the Renegades.
