I wanted to become a magician, says Tabraiz Shamsi after performing a magic trick on the field

Cricket already had its Don, Master Blaster, Mr 360 degree, Punter, Chef and so on but not a magician. Well, the beautiful game recently discovered its first magician and he is none other than Tabraiz Shamsi. While several cricketers in the past have been hailed as magicians because of their exploits with the bat or ball, Shamsi has earned the tag by literally coming up with a magic trick on the field.

Known for his over the top celebrations, the chinaman from South Africa has left everyone awestruck with his magic trick celebrations in the ongoing Mzansi Super League (MSL). Playing for Paarl Rocks, Shamsi came up with the celebrations after he dismissed Durban Heat’s David Miller on Wednesday. He was seen taking out a piece of cloth after taking the wicket. The spinner then waved it and turned it into what looked like a ‘magic wand’. He had done the trick against Jozi Stars too.

But while seeing magic tricks on the field is something new for the cricket fans, it is not so for Shamsi. The Proteas star was a professional magician and aspired to follow in the footsteps of great stuntmen like Houdini and David Copperfield. But then he eventually decided to stick to cricket and magic’s loss became cricket’s gain.

“I have always been fascinated by magic and different tricks,” said Shamsi before adding: “From the age of about 15 or 16, I wanted to become a magician as it was a hobby of mine. It wasn’t just a phase, but something that really interested me as a small child. I still love it, but cricket obviously took over after that.”

Entertaining to release pressure

While Tabraiz Shamsi’s celebrations entertain the fans to the fullest, they also serve a purpose for the bowler too. The spinner said that providing entertainment on the field helps him release pressure off himself and do well with the ball. “People come out to watch us play and sometimes we (the players) become too serious,” said Shamsi after the match.

“We are going to make mistakes out on the field, because everybody makes mistakes. The celebrations and tricks do not distract me from doing my job. I am not the first bowler to get hit out of the park and it is not my magic tricks that make me get hit. Entertaining on the field is just my way of taking pressure off myself and being able to enjoy things. I feel like when I am myself, I am able to play my best cricket,” he added.