Shamsi on how the tour to the West Indies and Ireland has taken its toll on the squad

SA limited overs front-line spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has spoken out on how the long tour to the West Indies and Ireland in the bio-bubble has taken its toll on the players and management.

The Proteas have been away from home for almost two months starting in the West Indies where they arrived on June 1 to play two Tests in St Lucia and five T20s in Grenada.

After winning both the Tests and T20 series in the Caribbean‚ they flew to Ireland where they drew the ODI series 1-1 and have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20 series which continues on Thursday.

“I am one of the guys who probably had the tour that I would have liked but still there is that human element with things happening back home and a lot of us not having seen our children‚ our spouses and families for almost two months‚” said Shamsi who claimed five wickets in the ODI series against Ireland and has already claimed four scalps in the T20s with two to go.

“Even though I am doing well from a playing point of view‚ I am a human being at the end of the day and that goes for the rest of the guys as well as members of the management. Everyone has been away from home for a very long time‚ so it does have challenges but we have to try to make do with what is in front of us.”

Shamsi said though they are homesick on long tours‚ they are fully aware of their responsibilities of performing on the training pitch and during matches.

“Ultimately our job is to perform and bring some happiness back home but sometimes we are human beings and we do feel the loneliness in the room. The team has done great because everyone has got together and we try to help each other out. At the end of the day‚ when it’s time for game time and/or practice‚ everyone is on it and those things are put aside.”

Shamsi also claimed seven wickets in five innings during the T20 series against the West Indies but he doesn’t believe he is playing at his best.

“I wouldn’t say I am in the form of my life‚ it’s the first time I have got regular game time. It used to be one game now and another game three months later and that’s how my career started.

“There is no dispute why it was like that‚ I think with regular game time you get to learn quicker from your mistakes and implement the good stuff a lot more and grow as a player.

“We all know that form is temporary‚ you just have to keep on working hard in your processes. There will be a patch where things don’t go your way but it’s about staying positive and through those patches try to contribute. If it’s not with the ball it’s in other ways behind the scenes or in other ways.”