24th February 2011 is a date probably well entrenched within the mind of Imran Tahir. Against the West Indies at the Cricket World Cup, after years of anticipation, he finally made his debut in South African colours. Taking four wickets while conceding just 41 runs, his first foray into international cricket was highly impressive — one that was appreciated greatly by cricket followers everywhere.
Born on the 27th March 1979, his international career only began at the age of 31, having made the choice to represent South Africa after a long-standing romance with Sumayya Dildar, whom he first met in 1998 when touring Durban with the Pakistan Under 19 side. After an eight-year inter-continental courtship, he married Sumayya in 2006, choosing to move to South Africa permanently, primarily for the woman he loved and less for the sport he held so close to his heart. Having the distinction of representing the most number of teams in the world (27), it is fair to say that it is amongst the Proteas that he found the place he perfectly belongs.
Indeed his comments on the eve of his initial selection: “I can’t see myself playing anywhere else in the world” and “You don’t know how much I want to play international cricket for South Africa,” proved that this was a man whose passion and enthusiasm would endear him to the often harsh South African public, regardless of the fact that he originated in Lahore, Pakistan, halfway across the world.
With South Africa historically exporting their own players rather than importing foreign ones, Imran Tahir was a breath of fresh air; an attacking spinner who could be brought on to change the course of a game. From his initial appearances at the 2011 World Cup where he took 14 wickets in the five matches he played, to his five wickets in South Africa’s recent series victory against New Zealand, his amazing ability to take wickets at regular, crucial intervals makes him a valuable asset to any limited overs side South Africa chooses to field.
Who can forget his stunning 4/53 which stunned his compatriots into silence in 2013 or the way he skittled through the Sri Lankan line up in the World Cup quarter-final, playing a key part in South Africa’s first ever knockout victory? The West Indies seem to be his favoured opponents as apart from his debut, he also amassed another four and five-wicket haul against them, both coming earlier this year. With his spontaneous, infectious wild celebrations being a key feature of his performances, it is no surprise that in his four and a half years with the national team, he has become a massive fan favourite. With such unparalleled exuberance, Imran Tahir displays his unrivalled joy in a startlingly unique manner, making him one of cricket’s most entertaining characters.
Having just attained the no.1 ODI bowling ranking, he will hold the fervent hope that he can be just as successful as his fellow no.1 ranked team-mate, AB De Villiers in maintaining this prestigious rank. With a recent Test recall for a massive series against India, Tahir will aim to finally translate the brilliance he displays with regularity in the limited overs format to the longer version of the game.
Despite his vast achievements, Tahir still has one dream he yearns to fulfil — the elusive goal of all South Africans — to get his hands on a Cricket World Cup. While their next 50-over attempt will come in 2019, when Tahir will have reached the ripe age of 40, it would be no surprise for someone of his determination and passion to set his sights on helping his adopted country attain that one missing prize.
