34 FEATURE
I
n 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 nonfactor. Be it his trademark celebratory sprints after picking a wicket, or the passionately charged roars on the field of play, Tahir's enthusi-
asm 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. H e was a w i s e m a n 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
WEEK ENDING AUGUST 12, 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com
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 He was quickly withdrawn from the team then, but found his way back almost immediately after becoming eligible to play.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 limit-
ed 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 front-
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
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
line spinner for South Africa but the tournament enhanced his reputation further as one
someone like Tahir, who is still in great shape physically and who has expressed the desire to
Hero Caribbean Premier League title. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
C
ameron Delport is a swashbuckling South African cricketer who specializes more in the T20 format. He has carved out a niche for himself in South Africa. He was included in the KwaZulu-Natal cricket team squad for the 2015 Africa T20
Bash League (Sydney Thunders) and the Caribbean Premier League for the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, and slammed 34 off 9 for Dolphins to briefly threaten Chennai Super Kings during a massive chase in the 2014 Champions League T20. He finished
Cup. Delport, an aggressive left-handed batsman, has become a dangerous figure in Twenty20 sides around the globe, making an impact for Leicestershire in the NatWest Blast, Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League and also representing Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash. A career-best 109 from 59 balls against Nottinghamshire saw Leicestershire qualify for the T20 Blast quarter-finals in 2017 for only the second time in 11 seasons. Delport has played in the Big
that tournament with a strike rate of 280. He also represented Lahore Qalandars during the first edition of Pakistan Super League. Leicestershire Foxes snapped the South African for the Natwest T20 blast 2016 season. There is no doubt in his ability, but if he has to make it to the national side, Delport will have to find a way to be consistent at the top-order and should focus on converting the starts into big ones, according to the Cricketing Pundits. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)