South Africa's T20 World Cup campaign has seen them win close matches repeatedly, much to the delight of spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. He's glad the "new Proteas" are shaking off their past reputation for choking under pressure.
Led by Aiden Markram, the team remains undefeated despite narrow victories against Nepal (1 run), Bangladesh (4 runs), and England (7 runs). Even their recent win against the West Indies, which secured a semifinal berth, came down to the wire (3 wickets).
"We'd prefer bigger margins," Shamsi admitted at the post-match conference, "but the amazing thing is this new Proteas team always finds a way to win."
"Every game has been a pressure cooker," he continued, "but the boys have managed to pull through no matter what. That's very pleasing for us, and honestly, in a weird way, we're kind of looking forward to it."
Shamsi himself faced criticism after a poor performance against the USA. However, he silenced his doubters with a crucial 3/27 showing against the West Indies.
"It's a double-edged sword, right?" he said. "The last game I bowled poorly and some ex-players came out criticizing my ability to handle pressure. A quarterfinal win is my response to that."
Shamsi acknowledges that off days are inevitable. He takes aim at those criticizing current players from a comfortable distance.
"It's ridiculous when past players who made similar mistakes judge us harshly. We all have a job to do, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That's the beauty of cricket – someone else steps up when you're down."
"That's our team mentality," he emphasized. "Whoever has a hot hand carries the team, and others support them on off days. That's normal, that's cricket."
Shamsi's experience in the Caribbean Premier League proved valuable. Knowing the West Indian players' style helped him strategize their downfall in this crucial match.
