In a cricketing world, brimming with young talents making the headlines at an incredible regularity, Imran Tahir, a late-bloomer, is a contradiction that defies both age and popular wisdom.
At 37, he reached the zenith of his career by becoming No. 1 ranked ODI and T20I bowler in the world. The leg-spinner’s trickery and craftsmanship make him one of the most versatile bowlers in limited-overs cricket.
Another thing that adds to popularity is his trademark roaring celebration, characterising the enthusiasm and zeal of 41-years old carries in his heart.
He is one such cricketer who has played under both Hashim Amla and MS Dhoni.
In interaction with Anis Sajan, the leggie was asked to pick the ‘coolest’ player among Amla and Dhoni. Tahir hesitated initially but came up with an interesting answer.
“It’s a tough question, but I would pick Hashim bhai and then Mahi bhai,” said Tahir.
For Proteas, Amla was one of the most prolific run-scorers of the modern-era who bid adieu to the game in 2019. In contrast, Tahir is still available for South Africa, but only in the shortest format of the game, and is in contention to play the now-postponed T20 World Cup in 2021.
While when it comes to Indian Premier League (IPL), Tahir represents Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The South African veteran bagged 26 wickets in the last edition to emerge as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.
Tahir further talked about his experience of playing under Dhoni and said that the CSK skipper is a special man.
“The first thing that comes to my mind is what a special man he (MS Dhoni) is. I have a lot of respect for him and I have always been watching him on TV. I met him when I got picked for Rising Pune Supergiant. I was quite nervous and I didn’t know how to react,” Tahir responded.
