Pakistan-born Imran Tahir, 31, a member of the South African one-day squad for the five-match series against India starting at Kingsmead on Wednesday, was also added to the Proteas’ provisional World Cup squad on Monday.
Former South Africa coach Graham Ford believes that if he’s handled correctly, Imran Tahir will be a “massive handful” for opposition batsmen at international level. Ford said that the Dolphins’ leg-spinner, who has taken a remarkable 42 first-class wickets in five matches this season – including two 12-wicket match hauls – can also be a major factor in limited-overs cricket.
“I think he can make the step up to international level. Obviously a leg-spinner has to be looked after, after all he’s an attacking spinner. But played in the right conditions, he’s a quality performer and will win you matches from nowhere.
“In the old days you played your more conservative-type spinners in one-day cricket, but the game’s changed a lot and now the attacking spinner is a real factor, particularly in the middle overs. The batsmen have to keep on scoring, even off good deliveries, so that’s where bowlers like Tahir can be at their most dangerous.”
Apart from his track record in first-class cricket, Imran Tahir was also the fourth highest wicket-taker in the MTN40 this season, picking up 15 wickets in nine matches with the most economical runs-per-over rate of 4.42.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment