Tabraiz Shamsi ready to take over from Proteas quicks

Tabraiz Shamsi believes that the Proteas will have to adapt to the switch from the United States to the Caribbean.

The Proteas squeaked through their final group match with a 1-run win over Nepal which saw Shamsi take 4 for 19 and be named the man of the match.

Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi ready to take over

Shamsi said that the switch to pitches on the islands means that spin will become more important.

He also commented on adapting to different conditions and even different play times.

“Our fast bowlers did a great job in New York but our slower bowlers will have to take up the mantle now,” he said.

Coming through the pressure moments.

Shamsi doesn’t share the concerns that the Proteas haven’t really turned it on in any of their matches to date.

He feels that being prepared for pressure moments will stand the team in good stead going forward.

“We’ve been put under pressure in every single game and we have stood up to it,” Shamsi said.

Skipper relieved

Proteas skipper Aiden Markram cut a relieved figure after the narrow win over Nepal.

“Very grateful to have got the win, we were not near our best tonight. Reflecting back on the game over the next few days, there will be a lot of learnings for us.

“We have a good pace attack and you want to back that. I thought if we got the ball in the right areas, it would be challenging for the batters. In hindsight, we should have picked another spinner. First and foremost, the way they bowled it made it really tough for us. They put us under a lot of pressure. And maybe there was not enough conviction in our plans.

“It has been a bit different, we spent the whole day almost doing nothing and there we’d be playing first thing in the morning. Moving forward some things may change. It’s one of the big challenges of cricket, being open minded and adapting.”

Nepal captain very proud

Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel said that he was proud of his team’s efforts at this World Cup.

“I think I am very proud of the unit, especially the way we bowled and batted,” Paudel said.

“When we saw the wicket yesterday, we thought it would be on the slower side. When we were bowling I thought the wicket was helping the spinners so we carried on with the spinners. I think we were very close but a little far. In crunch moments we did well, I thought we fought very good. If we get more exposure to games like this, we will be on the other side [of the result].

He also said: “I want to thank the fans for the way they have been supporting us. They come a long way, in the rain and everything, they come to support us.”