World No.1 T20I bowler, Imran Tahir joins GAW

In February 2017, at age 37, Imran Tahir reached the pinnacle of limited overs cricket by becoming the No. 1 ranked ODI and T20I bowler in the world. It was a testament to his desire to succeed at the top level, a trait which has helped him defy age and turn it into a complete non-factor.
Be it his trademark celebratory sprints after picking a wicket, or the passionately charged roars on the field of play, Tahir’s enthusiasm has kept him going. That very love for the game stands out in what has been an unorthodox cricketing career.
Tahir was born in Lahore, Pakistan. He learnt his trade in Pakistan. He even went on to represent the Pakistan U-19 team and was also a part of the Pakistan A side on some tours. However, he failed to make the transition to the next stage. Pakistan were blessed with some quality spinners and Tahir never really made his mark at the senior level to warrant a selection.
He was a wise man though. He decided to ply his trade elsewhere. He began playing county cricket in England but did not stay there for long. He made another jump, this time to South Africa. Another wise move, considering South Africa’s perennial dearth of quality spinners. He even met his wife, a South African citizen of Indian origin, and settled down in South Africa.
He got his first call to the South African Test team in 2010 when England where touring, but it was due to an embarrassing error by the selection committee. Tahir was not eligible to play for South Africa until January, 2011. He was quickly withdrawn from the team then, but found his way back almost immediately after becoming eligible to play.
He was selected for the ODI series against India, but was never picked in the playing eleven. Skipper, Graeme Smith, preferred to keep him as a surprise weapon for the World Cup in the subcontinent soon after. He impressed immediately, picking 14 wickets in the five games he played. He remains as an attacking option for the captain and is waiting for his first Test cap, which should come pretty soon.
He was also the highest wicket-taker in the 2014 T20 World Cup, with 12 wickets at an average of 10.91. He continued to be a regular member of the South African side in all formats and played Test matches in spin-friendly conditions.
The variations at Tahir’s disposal make him almost impossible to get away in the limited versions of the game, where he has found great success. Tahir attained the No. 1 ranking in ODIs for the first time in 2015, during the 2015 World Cup. At this point, he was already the frontline spinner for South Africa but the tournament enhanced his reputation further as one of the top limited overs bowlers.
He followed it up with another brilliant showing in the World T20 next year in 2016. It is impossible to predict where the finish line will be for someone like Tahir, who is still in great shape physically and who has expressed the desire to keep going for as long as he can.
We would most likely see Tahir as the star bowler on the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ squad when then begin their quest to capture the Hero Caribbean Premier League title. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)