South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi backing new players to shine in T20 series against Australia
Tabraiz Shamsi
South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi is backing the new players in the squad to stand up and show their worth in the T20 series against Australia starting in Durban on Wednesday.
South Africa will back the new faces in the squad to show what they are capable of in the three-match T20 series against the touring Australia.
The Proteas have opted to rest senior players such as Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada for the three matches in the shortest format but they will return to the fold for the five-match ODI series that will follow.
Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, Gerald Coetzee and Matthew Breetzke are the uncapped members of the squad that will be hoping to get an opportunity and they will want to stamp their authority at the highest level.
Brevis and Ferreira have already shown their potential with the bat on the domestic circuit and in T20 leagues around the world while fast bowler Coetzee has already played ODI and Test cricket for the Proteas.
"It's very exciting and we don't see them as junior players or new guys coming into the squad," Shamsi told reporters on Monday.
"If you look at the names that have come in, any one of those guys is equally capable of winning a game or two for us single-handedly, so it's exciting times for us that we can call upon players of that calibre.
"Even though they're new to the international scene, we've seen what they've done (in T20 leagues) around the world and on the franchise circuit.
"So personally I'm excited to see how they go about their business, and we know the match-winning capabilities that each of them have."
Both teams will have one eye on the 50-over World Cup that starts in India in October but Shamsi played down suggestions that the T20 series will just be used to experiment.
The Proteas and the Aussies are old foes on the field with some fierce battles over the years and the left-arm wrist-spinner does not feel these games will be any different.
"Whether we are in a great patch as a team or a bad patch, whenever the Australians come around we know everyone is up for it," Shamsi said.
"I don't get the feeling from the group or the coaching staff that this is just a warm-up. We're definitely here to win the series and I think our preparation has shown that."
