Watch: Tabraiz Shamsi wows crowd with magic trick on the field in Mzansi Super League

Cricket commentators often use the term ‘magical’ for stellar bowling spells but rarely has the term been used in a literal sense during a cricket match. All of that changed when Tabraiz Shamsi performed, not just with the ball, but a magic trick which seems to have been honed to perfection.

Shamsi, playing for the Paarl Rocks in a Mzansi Super League (MSL) match against Durban Heat at Paarl, was bowling to Wihab Lubbe. The batsman, eager to hit a boundary, attempted to loft the ball down the wicket but holed out to Hardus Viljoen for a simple catch at mid-on.

While the wicket was certainly big in the context of the match, what grabbed everyone’s attention was Shamsi’s celebration for the same. The chinaman bowler took out a red handkerchief from his pocket and while running with the same fluttering in his hand, turned it into a stick. The video has made waves on the internet as many were left amazed by the magic trick, saying that it looked like an otherworldly VFX animation stunt.

Shamsi also dismissed South Africa batsman David Miller for 40 in the same match, returning with figures of 2/37. However, his ‘magic’ wasn’t enough for the home side as Durban Heat chased down the target of 196, winning the match by six wickets with seven balls to spare.