'When you play in different leagues, you pick up little bits of golden nuggets' - Tabraiz Shamsi emphasizes benefits of playing in T20 leagues

After South Africa secured a five-wicket victory against India in Gqeberha, wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi shed light on the positive impact of T20 leagues as a feeder system for international cricket. Shamsi emphasized the benefits of embracing these leagues, suggesting that they not only contribute to players' financial well-being but also play a pivotal role in skill development and knowledge sharing.

The willy left-arm spinner's rich insights challenge the conventional perception of T20 leagues solely being money-making avenues for players. He believes that initially when the leagues started it was not perceived in a good zest. But with time, several players started to understand the importance of playing with different teams and in different conditions.

"When the leagues first started, they were seen in a bad light in the sense that it was all about players wanting to earn money. But when you play in different leagues, you pick up little bits of golden nuggets," the 33-year-old was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.

Drawing from his own experience, Shamsi highlighted how exposure to different playing styles and conditions in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) significantly aided his development. Recounting his time with Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the 2015 edition of the CPL. 

"As a youngster playing in the CPL before I made my debut for the Proteas in West Indies helped me feel so relaxed because I had been in those stadiums and I had done well on those pitches. So when I eventually did play for South Africa, I felt at home,” the Gauteng-born further added.

We've seen what the IPL has done for Indian youngsters: Tabraiz Shamsi

Tabraiz Shamsi stressed the importance of these experiences in easing the transition from domestic to international cricket, pointing out how players like him benefited from learning how to handle pressure and disappointments in front of large crowds. In the same vein, he referred to the renowned Indian Premier League (IPL) as a prime example, Shamsi praised its impact on Indian players.

"Over the years, we've seen what the IPL has done for Indian players and Indian youngsters in particular. When they come to the international scene they have already played in front of huge crowds, they have had their disappointments and bad games in front of huge crowds, so they have learned how to deal with that, and they've had success in front of good crowds so they know how to deal with that too. When they come to international cricket, it's just business as usual," Shamsi continued.

Furthermore, the experienced South African spinner expressed optimism about South Africa developing similar success stories through their own T20 league, SA20. He believes the exposure provided by such tournaments will better prepare the new generation of players for the challenges of international cricket. 

"The SA20 is brilliant for our country - in giving exposure to players. We've just had one season so we may not see it now, or in the near future but in the years to come we will see how much more prepared our new generation and guys that are in the system will be when they do play for the Proteas. It won't be a thing that they are playing international cricket. They will just let their natural talent shine,” Shamsi concluded.