Veteran spinner Tabraiz Shamsi will not be turning out for MI Cape Town (MICT) in the upcoming SA20 season. He has withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons and has been replaced by a like-for-like option in Thomas Kaber.
Earlier, Shamsi opted out of the national contract and was not considered for selection for the three-match ODI series against India. The left-arm wrist-spinner was last seen playing for South Africa in February this year.
Kaber returns to the Cape Town-based franchise. The 33-year-old played eight games in the 2023–24 season, while in the following season—when the team won the title—he featured in only one match. In the ongoing CSA T20 Challenge, he has taken seven wickets for the Warriors at an economy rate of 6.31.
In his SA20 career, Kaber has taken 10 wickets in seven innings at an economy rate of 8.05. With the bat, the right-hander has scored 34 runs in four innings.
Shamsi made his SA20 debut with Paarl Royals and spent two seasons there. The next season he joined Joburg Super Kings and was set to make his debut for MICT in the upcoming season, having been bought for R500,000 (USD 29,000 approx.). At present, the 35-year-old is playing in the Abu Dhabi T10 for the Northern Warriors.
MICT will begin their title defence against Durban’s Super Giants on 26 December.
For the latest sports news follow- Revsportz