The year-old South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir claims that he will probably take the retirement from the international cricket if South Africa wins the ICC Cricket World Cup in England.
After making debut in the international cricket in , the Protease leg-spinner has played 20 Tests, 86 ODIs and 36 T20Is where he has picked up a total of wickets (57 wickets in Test, wickets in ODI and 57 wickets in T20I). In present, Tahir is playing the limited-overs cricket, especially the ODI format, but he is struggling to maintain his form.
Talking about his career, Tahir said, &#;I&#;m trying to go as long as I can. I make sure I enjoy my game and I give what the team requires of me. I wouldn&#;t want to overstay in the team for too long. I want to leave with respect.
“It&#;s a bit early for me to say anything (about retirement),&#; he stated. &#;I&#;m loving the game at the moment. One thing I can say, if we win the World Cup then I&#;ll probably call it. It&#;s early for me, and I&#;m enjoying every opportunity I get to play for South Africa.&#;
Tahir was dropped during South Africa’s recent tour of Sri Lanka but has returned to the national squad in the ongoing home ODI series against Zimbabwe. Tahir also has been selected for the upcoming home T20I series against Zimbabwe. Tahir claimed that he has been working really hard on his fitness to stay in the team.
Tahir said, &#;I&#;ve been playing the game, which is very good for me. I&#;d rather be playing than having a rest. I&#;ve been working really hard on my fitness. We&#;ve got so many fit guys in our team, so if you want to keep the standards up, a guy like me, I need to be really up from a fitness point of view and make an impact. It&#;s going to be a challenge, but I&#;m the kind of guy who loves challenges.
&#;I&#;m trying to focus my training and take that into the World Cup. I&#;m developing some bowling and fielding plans and things like that. And preparing for some difficult times when I might
Tahir won&#;t change his retirement plan
His match-winning spell in the first ODI against Sri Lanka will have Proteas supporters hoping he&#;ll play till he&#;s 45, but Imran Tahir is still planning to call it quits after this year&#;s World Cup.
Faf du Plessis, South Africa&#;s skipper, had noted how the year-old was back to doing what he does best in &#;single-handedly&#; turning games into the national team&#;s favour.
ALSO READ:Faf delighted with Tahir’s return to form
Indeed, his haul of three for 26 was impressive enough for even the eternally humble Tahir to admit that he &#;felt really good&#;.
But his omission from Cricket South Africa&#;s (CSA) new national contract list last week is still an indication that he&#;s waving goodbye in June.
&#;I always wanted to play in the World Cup and it would be a great achievement for me to play for this great team,&#; said Tahir.
&#;But we had a mutual understanding, CSA and I, that I would be finishing after the World Cup. My contract is until then. After that, I&#;m allowed to pursue any T20 tournament I wish.&#;
However, it doesn&#;t mean Tahir won&#;t be seen in a Proteas shirt ever again.
&#;I actually want to continue playing T20 cricket for South Africa. I still feel I&#;ve got the ability and a role to play in the format. I&#;m grateful for the opportunities I got. This is where we&#;re at at the moment,&#; he said.
While the eternally fit leggie &#;wants to still play for as long as I can&#;, he does believe that his continued presence in over cricket might become a hindrance.
&#;There are a couple of good spinners in the country who need the opportunity,&#; Tahir said.
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Imran Tahir bowls a flighted delivery • AFP
Imran Tahir will turn 40 two months before South Africa pack their bags for the World Cup. Any thoughts of retirement, however, are far from his mind as he focuses on staying at his best for what could be a career-defining event. When he does go, he wants to make sure it's with his head held high.
"I'm trying to go as long as I can," Tahir said as South Africa prepared for the second ODI of their series against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein. "Make sure I enjoy my game and I give what the team requires of me. I wouldn't want to overstay in the team for too long. I want to leave with respect."
It's also clear just how much it would mean to Tahir to leave the international game a World Cup winner, and he said if South Africa did win the tournament, he'd probably "call it".
"It's a bit early for me to say anything [about retirement]," he said. "I'm loving the game at the moment. One thing I can say, if we win the world cup then I'll definitely probably call it. It's early for me, and I'm enjoying every opportunity I get to play for South Africa."
Tahir had been left out of South Africa's squad for their trip to Sri Lanka so that the coach and selectors could have a look at some of the team's other spin options - namely Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj. As a result, Tahir hadn't played an ODI since February before he returned against Zimbabwe on Sunday, but there was no rust on his wrong 'un as Tahir - ever the journeyman - spent his time 'off' playing T20 cricket in the Vitality Blast and the Caribbean Premier League. "I've been playing the game, which is very good for me," he said, "I'd rather be playing than having a rest."
Tahir picked up a Vitality Blast contract wit
Imran Tahir
Imran Tahir moved from Pakistan to South Africa via the UK for the love of a woman. He also played for more than 50 teams, including six English T20 sides, three South African franchises and as many IPL teams, while making a reputation as one of the best limited-overs legspinners of his time.
A feisty character, known for a wicket-celebration sprint longer than most fast bowlers' run-ups, and a range of variations, Tahir made the googly his biggest weapon in white-ball cricket, and in the second half of his career turned himself into a successful globetrotting T20 journeyman.
When he arrived in South Africa late in the first decade of the 21st century, where about ten years previously he had met the woman who would become his wife, he had a handful of domestic matches in Pakistan under his belt. He soon established himself in the first-class set-up, becoming the third highest wicket-taker in the first-class competition and consistently picked up wickets in season, when he also became a citizen.
Less than a week after he was naturalised, Tahir was picked in South Africa's squad for ODIs against India, but he had to wait until the World Cup for his debut. He made an immediate impact there, finishing the tournament as South Africa's second-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets from five matches. That summer, he also made his Test debut, against Australia in Cape Town, in the same match as Vernon Philander. It soon became clear, though, that Test cricket wasn't quite his format, and when he was dropped after his 11th match, against Australia in Adelaide in November , where he conceded and took no wickets, it seemed the world had seen the last of him in five-day cricket.
He came back after a year for South Africa's tour to the UAE in October , where he played against his former countrymen and took his first Test five-for, but it was a false dawn. Two years and eight Tests later, that part of his career was done; he finished with the unflattering aver