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Thandi Tshabalala - South Africa spin hope

Filed under Player Profile

10th October 2001, a wednesday was the only night when Harbhajan Singh ever bowled a magical off-spinning spell, in South Africa. Turbanator picked up 3 wickets then to win that thriller for India at Centurion. and honestly, I didn't wonder if someone in crowd was idolising him or not.

5 or so years hence, we have Thandi Tshabalala. slowly, carefully but surely pushed up the ladder by South African cricket board. I'll start with how to pronounce this off spinner's name - Thandi with T, but Tshabalala with no T.

Come to what Thandi has developed, and you have natural in-dips to right handed batsman (the art of flight as they call it). Spinning the ball on African wickets has tought him how spin on all surfaces, my first experience says this young black-origin man can extract turn more like Muthiah Muralitharan. I hear this off break bowler can also bowl the straighter ones. Having modeled his bowling action to that of India's Harbhajan Singh - Thandi Tshabalala looks like drifting down legs more ofter then he should. The best line for off-spinners to bowl is outside off, and hit off. very much like Ramesh Powar does for India.

Requirement is little more exposure. if not in International cricket, South Africa cricket should send Tshabalala for month or two of Ranji cricket in India. Our batsman will teach him the lesson the hard way - but outcome must be a diamond for RSA cricket.

This Free state born (on 19th November 1984) can bat as well, like most other S.Africa cricketers. His first International call was last year in February, when he toured Srilanka, but didn't play a single game. He started his first class career in 2003.

Pat Symcox was the last off-to-leg spinner to play for Proteas, whose best test performance came as a batsman against Pakistan in Karachi. Fact is, South Africa never had a world class spin arsenal. now a commentator, I wonder how Pat feels for Thandi Tshabalala.

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