Tabraiz Shamsi for South Africa (Source: AFP)
South African left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has won a legal battle against Cricket South Africa (CSA). In a significant development, the Johannesburg High Court announced an all-important verdict in Tabraiz Shamsi's favour in a dispute over No-Objection Certificates (NOCs).
The will now allow Shamsi to take part in two major overseas T20 tournaments, the ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates and the Big Bash League with the Adelaide Strikers in Australia.
What happened between Tabraiz Shamsi and CSA?
The dispute began after Tabraiz Shamsi was selected by MI Cape Town during the SA20 auction for a fee of R500,000. However, Shamsi chose not to sign a contract with the franchise.
Despite this, he later secured playing contracts in other international leagues, which required CSA’s approval in the form of NOCs.
CSA refused to grant these certificates, effectively stopping Tabraiz Shamsi from playing abroad. This refusal was based on the rule that players who enter the SA20 auction are expected to play in the league if they are bought by a team.
However, the SA20 organisers themselves decided not to take disciplinary action against Shamsi for not signing the contract. Importantly, Shamsi did not have a direct contract with CSA regarding SA20, which later became a key point in the court's decision.
Why did Tabraiz Shamsi approach the court?
Feeling that the refusal was unfair, the star bowler approached the Johannesburg High Court for urgent legal relief. In his court papers, Shamsi argued that CSA had acted in bad faith and violated his constitutional rights. He stated that CSA’s decision directly threatened his livelihood.
He also claimed that CSA refused the NOC mainly to protect its own interests as a shareholder in the SA20 league, rather than acting fairly toward the player.
He argued that this created a restriction on his ability to earn a living and pursue his career as a professional cricketer. After hearing the case, the court issued an interim interdict ordering CSA to grant Shamsi the required NOCs.
The court allowed him to play for the full duration of both the ILT20 and his stint with the Adelaide Strikers. This verdict effectively cleared the way for Shamsi to take part in the planned overseas tournaments.
It can be believed that the court ruled in Shamsi’s favour because his contract dispute was not directly with CSA, but with an SA20 franchise.
Shamsi opted out of SA's central contract
It is important to note that Tabraiz Shamsi also opted out of his CSA central contract in October 2024. His main aim while taking this step was to gain more freedom to play in T20 leagues around the world.
Despite opting out of the central contract, Shamsi made it clear that he remains available to represent South Africa in major bilateral series and ICC tournaments.
In recent years, Tabraiz Shamsi has been a regular performer in T20 cricket and previously represented teams like the Joburg Super Kings and Paarl Royals in the SA20. His last T20I appearance for South Africa came during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
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