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Phangiso learned much from 'tough' months

Cape Town - South Africa spinner Aaron Phangiso is hopeful that the ODI tour to the Caribbean will allow him to put the first half of 2016 behind him, saying he endured a 'tough' four months in the media.

The spinner was in the news for all the wrong reasons a few times, for getting drunk on a plane and reprimanded, then caught imitating sniffing drugs on live TV, and was also suspended for an illegal bowling action.

But he has put all that behind him now, and will face the West Indies and Australia in the upcoming ODIs with a new action, and a new belief in his strengths.

Phangiso said: "It was a bit tough. It was four months of newspapers - Phangi this, Phangi that - but I've got a strong family, very Christian people. That helped a lot.

"There's a lot of lessons you learn from those type of things, and a lot of the time the public get a story that's not 100% accurate.

"But the fact that the story is out there and people think some other stuff about you, obviously you are going to learn something."

Phangiso is one of three spinners in the side, with Imran Tahir set to get first pick, and then uncapped Tabraiz Shamsi looking to impress in the long term. So 'Phangi' hopes he'll get a shot on the more spin-friendly decks.

He added: "The fact that Russell (Domingo) and the selectors chose to go with three spinners means there's a chance of two spinners always playing.

"Hopefully if conditions allow in West Indies, I can maybe get a bit of a run."

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