The on and off drizzle in Johannesburg since the start of the year may have helped the Joburg Super Kings win against MI Cape Town in a rained out SA20 clash at Wanderers on Saturday.
This, according to decorated T20 spinner, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Shamsi was speaking to the media during a post match interview, indicating that the constant rainy weather in Joburg helped them prepare.
JSK won the match by six runs via the Duckworth Lewis - Stern (DLS) method after play stopped 11.2 overs into their batting innings.
MI Cape Town had put up 140 runs in their allotted overs but that target was revised to 131 to accommodate for the weather.
Play stopped with the Super Kings on 82/3 after 11.3 overs, six runs ahead on DLS, at that stage.
Shamsi jovially said he felt no remorse for the tough batting wicket MI Cape Town batters had to endure, as T20 bowlers often have to “deal with short boundaries”.
“It was a bit of a funny night, a little drizzle here and there but I suppose it's been like that for the past month and a half here in Joburg,” Shamsi said.
“Even our prep leading up to it sort of prepared us for it. We only had like two outdoor nets before the tournament but at the end of the day, at least we got the win.”
He said their early wickets helped them with the victory and felt confident chasing down 141.
“You always have to look at the DLS and monitor it knowing that the rain might come at any time. But I think our batters are quite experienced and dealt with it nicely,” he added.
Shamsi said returning home from the Paarl Royals was a happy moment for him. Shamsi also played for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL from 2016.
He made his One Day International (ODI) debut for the Proteas during the tournament on 7 June 2016 against Australia.
“Look, I’m a Joburg boy so it's a home franchise for me and I suppose the Super Kings franchise as a whole.
“As cricketers looking at it from the outside, most want to be a part of it because they have such a long history of winning.
“Not just the South African franchise, but in IPL and around the world.
“It was such a great experience, people turned up and started chanting people’s names and whistling for their team. I think the only other time we experience this atmosphere is when we play international games,” Shamsi said.