Shamsi antics continue appealling tradition

The game of cricket has evolved in many ways over the years: professionalism, player fitness, bat technology, smaller boundaries, and the twenty-over format.

But another, more subtle change that often gets overlooked is the humble appeal.

Or perhaps, based on a growing body of evidence, appealing is not-so-humble any more.

Much like how wicket celebrations evolved from a firm handshake and clap seen in vintage black-and-white archive footage to the embraces and high-fives that proved such good fodder for The Twelfth Man's comedy albums, good appealing is now a form of entertainment in of itself. 

Shane Warne made working an umpire an art form, playing the long game over the course of an innings, a match, and a career.

And for modern-day slow bowlers a simple question of ‘How is that, sir?’ has evolved and can now resemble a three-part dramatic act.

Among the great exponents is South Africa's left-arm leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.

Shamsi's exuberance has put some noses out of joint in the past, and he was at his best in the South Africa A match against CA’s National Performance Squad in Mackay on Wednesday.

Bowling to NPS skipper Matt Short, Shamsi was convinced he'd got his man and launched a lengthy and spirited appeal that ultimately reduced him to his knees, then his back and then into a ball on the turf just metres away from the batsman.

And the result of this passionate display? A simple shake of the head and a call of 'over' from the umpire.

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Having regained his feet, the left-arm orthodox bowler walked towards to leg-side before turning and remonstrating with the umpire again, once more to no avail.

Shamsi’s appeal brought to mind an emphatic, and ultimately more successful appeal, from Australian spinner Steve O’Keefe in last year’s Matador Cup, while last summer's Sheffield Shield competition showed some of the country's best spinners - and their teammates - at their appealing best.