Imran Tahir is white apparently

[Jakester1288]

I still think the fast bowling needs more improvement. Steyn and Morkel are not consistent enough to convince me especially with them bowling terribly in the latter part of the Eng tour.

He is the 3rd best bowler in the world at the moment, and the second best pace bowler. According to this list.

Morkel comes in at number 44.

 

[TT Boy]

Tahir apparently qualifies for South Africa in April, so whilst he will miss the home tests against Australia he could/should be available for the one day series. Mickey Arthur has also just recently spoken about Tahir playing for the Proteas.

 

[Uppercut]

I'd forgotten just how dreadful he was last time he played county cricket actually - in 3 games for Middlesex in 2003 and 1 for Yorkshire in 2007, he took a sum-total of 1 for 337!

And truth be told he barely played First-Class cricket most of his career at home - in 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2006/07 (that's 7 seasons) he never played more than 3 games. He played 6 each in 2000/01 and 2005/06 and played plenty in 1999/2000 and 2004/05 (not surprisingly these two were his best seasons - he took 117 wickets at under 22 in them). Presumably a mix of his often moderate performances and politics.

But since going to SA (ie, for Titans and for Hants), he's played 13 games and taken 75 wickets at 19.63. Impressive indeed, and I don't see any particular reason to think he won't continue that in 2008/09.

Yeah, shouldn't ever have been picked before, but he should be now. Would like it to be SA just because they'll play more than Pakistan. He's always been a journeyman, fair play to those who continued to recognise his talent and potential despite some aforementioned awful performances.

 

[Uppercut]

He is the 3rd best bowler in the world at the moment, and the second best pace bowler. According to this list.

Morkel comes in at number 44.

Morkel hasn't had enough series to accumulate any points for those ratings.

Would probably have Clark and Lee before him as quicks go, but that's it.

 

[TT Boy]

Indeedy. The next question is, with Tahir, would SA become the best cricket team in the world? They'd be the only without an obvious weak department...

Pace attack looks a bit iffy for Aus. Steyn, Morkel if 100% fit are fine but Ntini is on his last legs, Nel is rendered useless when his bowling 125kph, Zondeki was Cackdeki for Warwickshire, no pace, did nothing with the ball and the only other alternatives are medium pacers it would seem. So it’s not looking that rosy.

 

[Uppercut]

Pace attack looks a bit iffy for Aus. Steyn, Morkel if 100% fit are fine but Ntini is on his last legs, Nel is rendered useless when his bowling 125kph, Zondeki was Cackdeki for Warwickshire, no pace, did nothing with the ball and the only other alternatives are medium pacers it would seem. So it’s not looking that rosy.

I'd say it's looking rosy, just not perfect. Morkel, Steyn, Kallis, Tahir and a fifth bowler isn't an attack one would complain about, certainly not in this age. Their batting lineup's excellent too. Australia's attack has more weak links than that- beyond Lee and Clark there's next to nothing- although the quality of those two means i'm inclined to say they'd still be the world's best.

 

[Langeveldt]

I'd say it's looking rosy, just not perfect. Morkel, Steyn, Kallis, Tahir and a fifth bowler isn't an attack one would complain about, certainly not in this age. Their batting lineup's excellent too. Australia's attack has more weak links than that- beyond Lee and Clark there's next to nothing- although the quality of those two means i'm inclined to say they'd still be the world's best.

Loving the fact we have Tahir in the ranks and Australia have Krezja..

 

[Uppercut]

Chickens, counting, hatched etc. etc.

But yeah

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Loving the fact we have Tahir in the ranks and Australia have Krezja..

Even Zimbabwe could probably gloat about having better spinners than Australia

 

[Migara]

Even Zimbabwe could probably gloat about having better spinners than Australia

Uteseya > Kretzja IMO

 

[Xuhaib]

eh! when did Imran Tahir became so important that we have a whole thread dedicated to him. Last time I remember watching him bowl he was getting thrashed 70 odd in 8 overs by mighty Faisal Iqbal and Naved Latif.

I recommend SA not to waste their time on this rubbish, he is just going through a purple patch and he will soon get back to his old ways.

 

[Migara]

eh! when did Imran Tahir became so important that we have a whole thread dedicated to him. Last time I remember watching him bowl he was getting thrashed 70 odd in 8 overs by mighty Faisal Iqbal and Naved Latif.

I recommend SA not to waste their time on this rubbish, he is just going through a purple patch and he will soon get back to his old ways.

ATM he's causing havoc among domestic batsmen in SAF. 5/69 in current match, and he has taken all five of them as well.

 

[Richard]

eh! when did Imran Tahir became so important that we have a whole thread dedicated to him. Last time I remember watching him bowl he was getting thrashed 70 odd in 8 overs by mighty Faisal Iqbal and Naved Latif.

I recommend SA not to waste their time on this rubbish, he is just going through a purple patch and he will soon get back to his old ways.

Not entirely sure about that TBH.

Don't think Imran has ever been that good a OD bowler anyway has he?

 

[Jakester1288]

beyond Lee and Clark there's next to nothing

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Still a while till the tour, and Johnson has time to get his confidence up really high and pick up a lot of wickets, without swinging the ball. If we also get Bollinger into the side, it's still very much a world class bowling line up. Whilst it doesn't quite match South Africa's, it's still good enough to pick up 20 wickets for less than 600 runs in my opinion.

 

[Uppercut]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Still a while till the tour, and Johnson has time to get his confidence up really high and pick up a lot of wickets, without swinging the ball. If we also get Bollinger into the side, it's still very much a world class bowling line up. Whilst it doesn't quite match South Africa's, it's still good enough to pick up 20 wickets for less than 600 runs in my opinion.

One can only speculate as to how good Bollinger or Johnson can be, though. Compare to, say, England's attack of Flintoff-Harmison-Anderson-Sidebottom-Panesar, and we all know each and every one of those players can perform at test level. We're yet to see anything of the sort from a current Aussie bowler other than Lee and Clark. (Who are both admittedly better than any English bowlers atm.)

 

[Salamuddin]

I'd say it's looking rosy, just not perfect. Morkel, Steyn, Kallis, Tahir and a fifth bowler isn't an attack one would complain about, certainly not in this age. Their batting lineup's excellent too. Australia's attack has more weak links than that- beyond Lee and Clark there's next to nothing- although the quality of those two means i'm inclined to say they'd still be the world's best.

Personally I'd be amazed if RSA beat Australia.

I saw them play in England.....decent team but I don't think they're good enough to Australia.
I would have been more impressed if they had actually manged to beat India in India eralier this year whether they had a 1-0 lead going into the last test where they won then toss and were 1-100 odd.

The fact they couldn't capitalise in India makes me doubt their ability to beat Australia.

 

[Uppercut]

Don't think it's likely either. If Tahir was able to play, though...

 

[Goughy]

Interesting how this thread has gone from "Imran Tahir is white apparently" to almost "Imran Tahir walks on water"

He is certainly a good addition to the South African talent pool but I dont think he is going to put them over the edge.

 

[TT Boy]

Interesting how this thread has gone from "Imran Tahir is white apparently" to almost "Imran Tahir walks on water"

He is certainly a good addition to the South African talent pool but I dont think he is going to put them over the edge.

To be fair I think people are just excited that South Africa could have a spinner who is a genuine match winner. Also, it is a fair effort on the part of Tahir to take five wickets (would have had six if not for a drop catch) in less than ten overs on a green wicket in overcast/cold conditions in Durban and to take so many wickets in the county championship when that to was played in conditions not conducive to spin bowling. I don’t think anyone is proclaiming him to be the second coming but the simple question is Tahir a better spinner than Paul Harris, yes or no?

 

[TT Boy]

Patrick Compton article on Tahir…

"I would be grateful to Cricket South Africa if they gave me the opportunity. I will carry on trying my best and bowling from my heart - that is always the way that I play my cricket."

No lingering ambitions to play for Pakistan? "No," he smiled, "I have already forgotten about that."

"Since I first played for the Titans last season, this is the best that I have ever bowled," he said.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=17&art_id=vn20081004082043510C772094

Turns out the Dolphins turned him down ( ) and what the article doesn’t go onto to say was that Goolam Bodi of the Titans and formally of Natal cricket was the guy who recommended him to the Pretoria franchise, who then asked for a second opinion on Tahir and Mohammed Yousuf was the man who gave Imran a glowing reference and urged the franchise to sign him up. So fair play to both Bodi and Yousuf!