His last T20I appearance came during the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
The Johannesburg High Court has issued a landmark ruling in favour of former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) spinner Tabraiz Shamsi in his dispute with Cricket South Africa (CSA). The decision could change how freelance cricketers handle their commitments to domestic leagues and overseas T20 tournaments.
The court ordered CSA to extend Tabraiz Shamsi’s No-Objection Certificate (NOC), allowing him to serve the Gulf Giants for the entire ILT20 season before joining the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League (BBL), while noting that CSA must also cover his legal costs.
Shamsi, a left-arm wrist-spinner with 127 international matches, was acquired by defending champions MI Cape Town for R500,000 (INR 26.90 Lakhs) at the first-ever SA20 auction. However, the spinner withdrew from his contract, citing personal reasons, to pursue offers in other T20 franchise leagues. Notably, as the T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled in February, several franchise leagues, including ILT20, BBL, Bangladesh Premier League, and SA20, have preponed a bit from their actual window, causing major clashes between the fixtures.
The governing committee of SA20 accepted his withdrawal in November and replaced him in MI Cape Town’s squad. After leaving MI Cape Town, Shami sought a contract in the ILT20 and BBL. However, CSA initially granted him a NOC for the ILT20 only until December 19, which was during the tournament and before the SA20 window opened.
As negotiations for an extension stalled, Shamsi appealed to the High Court for urgent help to clarify his playing status. The court ruled in his favour, ordering CSA to issue an extended NOC to him covering the ILT20 until January 4, the date of the tournament final. The board has since provided a separate NOC for his participation in the BBL.
Shamsi has already snared four wickets in as many matches at an average of 27.25 and an economy rate of 8.38 for the Gulf Giants. He will next join the Adelaide Strikers in January.
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In a statement from his management company, Global Sports Ventures, Tabraiz Shamsi expressed relief at the ruling.
“I am grateful the Court recognised the urgency of my situation and granted interim relief,” Shamsi said. “I was hesitant to go to court, but it was necessary for certainty and stability in my career as a husband and father. My focus now is cricket. I want to perform at the highest level and remain available for South Africa.”
Tabraiz Shami, who declined the central contract, has fallen well behind in pecking order for South Africa across all formats. He last played for the Proteas in February 2025 against Pakistan during a tri-series, also involving New Zealand. Shamsi’s last T20I was against India in the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
This might have pushed him to seek overseas franchise league opportunities, with him being in the twilight of his career. The chinaman spinner has previously been part of the Paarl Royals and Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, but now it seems that he may not feature in the tournament again.
Reflecting on the situation, Pholetsi Moseki, CSA CEO, explained that Shamsi was initially denied an NOC due to SA20 contract rules. However, he clarified that the current NOC was issued according to the court’s interim order.
However, seeking or issuing the NOCs to players to feature in franchise leagues isn’t a new thing now and as the number of players declining central contracts and searching for financially friendly T20 leagues increases, the judgment sets a standard that might encourage other players to ask for permission to play abroad during their home seasons.
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