It Feels Like Cricketers Are Caged Circus Animals: Tabraiz Shamsi Tweets On Bio-Bubble

A left-arm wrist-spin bowler with ample variations and a good googly, Tabraiz Shamsi emerged as South Africa was starting to warm to the wave of spinners being produced at domestic levels, although it took a while for him to come through. His ODI debut finally came in a triangular series in the Caribbean in June 2016. That same year he made his Test debut against Australia in Adelaide and the following June, he played his first T20 international.

Tabraiz Shamsi On Bio Bubble:

But Tabraiz Shamsi struggled to find a regular place in the South African side, with Keshav Maharaj, established as the Test spinner and Imran Tahir their white-ball specialist spinner.

Tabraiz Shamsi was part of the 2019 World Cup squad and played two matches but it was only after Imran Tahir’s ODI retirement after the 2019 World Cup that Tabraiz Shamsi came into his own.

“I don’t think everyone truly understands the impact these things have on us, our families, and our lives outside of cricket. Sometimes it just feels like we are caged circus animals who only get taken outside when it’s time to practice and play matches to entertain the crowds,” tweeted Shamsi.

Tabraiz Shamsi has picked 6 Test wickets in 2 Tests and 32 scalps in 27 ODIs and 38 scalps in 37 T20Is. Tabraiz Shamsi was the leading wicket-taker in the series against Pakistan taking six wickets, which included a haul of four for 25 in the final match.

The tweaker ended as the joint highest wicket-taker in the T20Is against Pakistan that the visitors lost 1-2. Tabraiz Shamsi picked up six wickets in the three matches at an economy rate of 5.08. He also picked 5 scalps in 3 ODIs against Ireland and 7 scalps in 5 T20Is against West Indies.

Tom Harrison: ECB Gave Relaxations In The Bio Bubble For Players Welfare In The Upcoming 5 Tests And The Hundred

Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Thursday had said that the board decided to give relaxations in the bio-bubble looking at players’ welfare and their mental health.

“We want people feeling good about going out and playing in whatever tournament they’re playing in, whether that’s the Hundred, whether that’s a Test series against India, whether that is county cricket and the RL50,” said Tom Harrison.

“We want people to be feeling like their life is delivering for them, both at home and as professional cricketers, men and women. We don’t want to be closeting players in such a place where they feel like the only role they play in their life is to go out and bat and bowl for whatever team they’re playing,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Harrison as saying.

“I think that’s a bad place for us to be. We have to be understanding about what it is to be a responsible employer, to be able to get the best back from players. That’s by treating them like adults, and talking and communicating openly about how we best mitigate the impacts of this ongoing pandemic,” he added.

Recently, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) received flak for giving relaxation in the bio-bubble. Three England cricketers and four-member of their support staff tested positive for Covid-19 before the Pakistan series which led the whole squad to be changed. India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and support staff member Dayanand Garani have also tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK.