The South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi made his debut in the Big Bash League with the Adelaide Strikers after his stint in the ILT20 recently. The spinner aced on his debut with two wickets first up against the Perth Scorchers and turned up the heat with a splendid celebration.
The 2025-26 BBL season is one of the most crucial editions of the tournament, as it has been a year of debutants. Pakistani veterans made their debut in the BBL this season, as did many young Australian cricketers, and now it’s South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
A well-known international trickster for South African Tabraiz Shamsi, made his way to franchise cricket but was not a part of most of the major global franchise leagues in the world. Shamsi, though sidelined from the Protea white-ball team, has made it to several leagues in the 2025-26 season.
South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi shines on BBL debut
Tabraiz Shamsi is among the rarest of clans present in world cricket, as he is a chinaman bowler much like former Australian Brad Hogg and Indian superstar Kuldeep Yadav, which is a rare sight in modern cricket.
Shamsi has played domestic cricket around the globe and has appeared in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Rajasthan Royals, but was yet to make his debut in the ILT20 and BBL, which he finally did in the 2025-26 season.
Ignoring his stint in the home league SA20, Shamsi made his debut in the ILT20 with the Gulf Giants and featured in 5 matches, and then went on to make his BBL debut for the Adelaide Strikers.
In the very first match of his career for the Strikers, the spinner picked three wickets on debut. He came out of the game with remarkable figures of 3/30 in his four overs, partnering alongside Lloyd Pope, who too bowled stunningly for his 4/23 off 4 overs.
Shamsi shocks the BBL crowd with “shoe-call” celebration on his maiden BBL scalp
Shamsi provided the breakthrough for the Adelaide Strikers in the second over he bowled in the game. Mitchell Marsh, the Scorchers centurion from the last game, had a partnership of 72 runs alongside Sam Fanning, and the Strikers needed a breakthrough desperately.
On the very first ball of the 10th over, Marsh was caught down the throat of long-on as he looked to heave Tabraiz Shamsi over the boundary. As soon as he got his maiden wicket, Shamsi looked overjoyed and celebrated the dismissal with his teammates.
He then ran forward, celebrating with his famous ‘shoe-call’ celebration, as he used his shoe as a symbolic phone and dialed a number, then placed it to his ear. The BBL crowd was both amazed and elated with the kind of celebration they were witnessing. He then dismissed Cooper Connolly in the same over for a duck.
PICK UP THE PHONE 👟 📞
Tabraiz Shamsi has his first BBL wicket, and his celebration was GOLD! #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/SyT41d3H32
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 4, 2026
Two for Shamzi!
The South African spinner picks up Cooper Connolly for a duck 🦆 #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/AJRiFr9xUG
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 4, 2026
Tabraiz Shamsi is among the players dropped by South Africa for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Tabraiz Shamsi was one among the many players whom the South Africans dropped ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Shamsi has not been handed many opportunities after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 by the Proteas due to the rise of players like George Linde and Corbin Bosch, who can be effective with the bat as well.
He was among the many players who were part of their 2024 squad that finished as the runners-up on the last occasion. This time, he is no longer a part of the selected squad. However, South Africa might be reconsidering their choices if he continues his form in the Big Bash League.
