Qadir helped me develop as a bowler: Imran Tahir

Published June 9, 2015
Imran Tahir / Abdul Qadir
Imran Tahir / Abdul Qadir

KARACHI: South Africa’s Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir says he owes recent improvement in his bowling to Pakistan’s spinning legend Abdul Qadir whose guidance has proved invaluable in his career.

“Great Qadir has always been my ideal and his support and guidance has helped me in improving my bowling skills to a great extent,” he told a private television channel on Sunday.

Imran, who took a bagful of wickets for South Africa in recent international games due to his improved repertoire that includes googlies, flippers and leg-breaks, said he owed it mainly to Qadir’s genius. “I always admired Qadir for his brilliant bowling and has now learnt a lot from him,” said the Lahore-born player who migrated to South Africa about a decade ago.

Imran also credited his South African wife Sumayya for his success and added that she motivated him in difficult times during career.

“I thought my career was over when I conceded a world record 260 runs in both innings against Australia at Adelaide which was the worst- ever bowling in Test match cricket,” Imran recalled.“But my wife played a vital role in motivating me after such a disastrous performance and I am really thankful to her for that.”

Since making his first-class debut in 1996-97, Imran has played for ten teams from Lahore to Yorkshire to the Titans in South Africa. He has also had stints with three English counties including Middlesex, Yorkshire and Hampshire.

“There were lesser opportunities in Pakistan when I decided to go to England before migrating to South Africa,” recounted Imran.

Imran has captured 43 wickets in 16 Test matches so far, 70 in 38 ODIs and 25 in 16 T20 Internationals besides taking an impressive tally of 711 wickets in 174 first class games.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.
Concerning measures
Updated 03 Nov, 2024

Concerning measures

The govt must seek political input and consensus on the changes it is seeking to make and be open about its intentions.
Short-lived relief?
03 Nov, 2024

Short-lived relief?

POLICYMAKERS must be jumping with joy. At the close of the first quarter of FY25, the budget posted a consolidated...
Brisk spread
03 Nov, 2024

Brisk spread

THE surge in polio cases has reached distressing levels with a tally of 45 last reported, after two cases emerged in...