http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Tahir – Adminsitocrats fail yet again (Part 1)
It wasn't too long ago that I wrote about the weak domestic cricket structure prevalent in Pakistan, however despite the weak structure it has to be said that there is no lack of talent on the local circuit. It was this system that produced the likes of
Imran Khan, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292, Waqar Younis, Saqlan Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Abdul Qadir and many others.
The defining qualities of almost all of these spinners were that they were never boring. In fact, they were more fascinating to watch than many fast bowlers. A boring spinner from Pakistan is like talking about a straight child of a celebrity rock star from
America. It is more akin to blasphemy. While http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314. Not that I have anything against him, however this man has simply failed to deliver
time and again.
Due to the absence of a strong domestic structure in place, nepotism and corruption is rife. More often selection of players is influenced by political motives or backing. The more talented players who might not have some sort of political backing or contacts
within the PCB might find it more than a struggle to make it to the national side. In fact, all their lives they would dwell on that reverie, on that dreamy moment where they will be called to represent their country.
While Danish Kaneria is now a household name in the cricketing circles, the same cannot be said about a certain Imran Tahir. I would be pleasantly surprised if many cricket fans from Pakistan even know about him. I had the good fortune of going through his
portfolio and it is more than impressive. In fact I too, like many others plead guilty to not knowing about Imran Tahir until my attention was drawn to him by an Australian cricket writer Jarrod Kimber. He had the good fortune of watching a county match in
England that Tahir once played.
“Pakistan obviously don’t rate form in county cricket, otherwise Mushie would have been reinstated and given a ton of virgins for his trouble. Now that Mushie is gone, Tahir is the best Pakistani leg spinner that I know of. And instead of playing for Pakistan,
well assuming they still play, he is playing for something called a titan in the Evil Empire."
Jarrod Kimber is the author of the book titled ‘When Freddie became Jesus’. He also writes for Wisden and has his own blog. It is imperative to mention that Tahir has played for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Middlesex-c817, Pakistan A, Redco Pakistan Ltd, Staffordshire,
Sui Gas Corporation of Pakistan, Titans, Water and Power Development Authority and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yorkshire-c867, which happen to be the first class teams that this man has represented. Such is the diversity of his resume and of course it needs to be understood that while the
domestic cricket structure of Pakistan is most certainly in question, the same cannot be said about the domestic structure of England or http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757.
He was never called for the Pakistan national side. Ironically though, he was selected earlier this year to play for South Africa against England in January. Unfortunately though, he could not meet certain residency requirements and had to be dropped. In
127 first class matches, Tahir has taken an impressive 535 wickets at an average of 25. In his career, he has taken 5 wickets 39 times and 10 wickets 8 times. Imran says he never really understood why he could not make it to the national side.
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