Imran Tahir: South Africa’s surprise element in ICC World Cup
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 is keen on trying a surprise element in the World Cup, set to start next month in India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. The Proteas who have failed to win even one World Cup in either T20 or ODI format are hoping to turn the tables
in the event that sees them placed in group B with the likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 to counter.
The inclusion of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Tahir is a positive move that is being hailed in the South African cricketing circles, the 31 year old is yet to play at the international level and this has been done deliberately as he
is to be ushered at the top level of the game during the World Cup, set to start in the Indian sub-continent next month.
He is a tricky customer to deal with, for the batsmen and wicket-keepers alike, as he has a very well disguised
googly that can spell doom for the batters facing him as well as the man keeping wickets.
Daryn Smit the man who kept wickets for Tahir’s South African state team Dolphins believes that he would be tough to keep too, but he learnt the task by picking him while batting in the nets.
Tahir's biggest variation from the leg-break is his googly and the Lahore-born right armer usually relies on the ball to dislodge batsmen. "The only way to pick it is to watch how it comes out of the hand," Smit said, indicating
that it is not easily read off the pitch.
Smit added that Tahir’s variations are harder to pick under lights and the batsmen have to watch his hand even more closely at night than in day time. The keeper thinks that the talented bowler can be a real handful at the World Cup if
the South African team management work out an aggressive strategy with him.
He also advised the Proteas to test out Tahir under the lights with team keeper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887 keeping wickets to him before the tournament starts, as without match practice even de Villiers would be a susceptible to Tahir’s guiles.
"Imran is harder to pick up at night, especially when he makes subtle changes with his hand. Against a black sight-screen and under artificial lights, it takes some getting used to,” said the wicket-keeper.
Smit also defended the ability of de Villiers stating that the keeper was talented enough to master Tahir as he is a class act. "A lot of people say AB is a part-time keeper, but I know that he isn't. At Under-19 level, I was the first-choice
keeper and he was the back-up and he was a good keeper," Smit said.
The Dolphins keeper also had some advice for the Protean captain Graeme Smith, he suggested that Smith should adopt some defensive fields for Tahir as he was likely to concede some runs due to the attacking nature of his bowling.
The ICC World Cup 2011 will be a brilliant platform for the leg-spinner to showcase his skills and considering he has been kept under the shadows till now, Imran Tahir may prove to be that edge South Africa lacked in their previous World
Cup campaigns.
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