FEATURE: FROM IMRAN TAHIR WITH LOVE

February is the month of roses and romance. Twenty-eight days of unadulterated love. 

It is therefore no surprise that Imran Tahir was still professing his affection for his adopted country during Betway SA20 Season 2.

Tahir was back in action in South Africa for the first time since retiring from One-Day International cricket after the 2019 ICC World Cup in the United Kingdom. 

It’s a love affair that started all the way back in 1998 when Tahir first set foot on these shores. Not only did he meet his future wife Sumayya, but he was transfixed with the people of Mzansi. 

And in return he has only shown them nothing but love since pulling on his Proteas jumper at the 2011 World Cup - a career which ultimately yielded 293 international wickets.

 Tahir’s trademark celebrations are a thing of legend in South Africa. And his passion for the Proteas badge has never been questioned. Even at 44, Tahir still believes he is a “warrior” and that “I'm ready to fight even at this age.”

Imran Tahir is never one to hide his emotions when he has taken a wicket...

It is this passion and chutzpah that Tahir brought to the Joburg Super Kings in Season 2. 

“It meant everything to me to be back in South Africa. I was waiting to come back to play in front of the people that I really loved to play in front of,” Tahir said. 

“This country has given me so much. I have so much respect for this country. It means the world to me. Coming back here and playing here, I just loved it.”

It was this relentless optimism that even when the Super Kings were struggling to string performances together, Tahir was still his effervescent self urging his teammates to dig deep.

It was no more prevalent than during the rain-curtailed clash against MI Cape Town at Newlands. 

With an unseasonal torrential storm accompanied by gale force winds enveloping Cape Town, the likelihood of JSK’s season being washed away was increasing with each passing minute. 

The tension was palpable in the visitors’ changeroom before the visible sighs of relief when the game - cut down to eight overs per team - was eventually restarted. 

But JSK still needed someone to ignite their season. Enter 'Immy' Tahir. 

Tasked with bowling the first over after the resumption, Tahir dismissed both the dangerous Liam Livingstone and the competition’s highest scorer Ryan Rickleton. 

And just like that Tahir was off like a Roman gladiator with his long blond locks flowing behind him in the wind. 

It set the tone for a drama-filled night that resurrected JSK’s Season 2 campaign. 

But Tahir was not done yet. There was still plenty of ticker left and it was illustrated none more so than in JSK’s clutch Eliminator victory over Paarl Royals at the Wanderers. 

Tahir would be the first to admit that even in his prime he was not one of the more agile and athletic fielders out on the park, but that was never due to a lack of desire and effort.

But on this balmy Tuesday evening at the Bullring, Tahir pulled off two spectacular catches that set the Super Kings on the path to Qualifier 2. 

The first pouch was spectacular with Tahir running backwards from short fine-leg before throwing himself full length to hold on two hands. The next was equally brilliant with Tahir running across from third man before grabbing it inches off the turf. 

The catches had even greater significance due to the fact that Tahir was struggling with an injured finger. 

“It’s a great feeling when you take catches like that, but it's due to the work that I do behind the scenes that nobody sees,” the ever-green veteran said. 

There was unfortunately no fairytale ending for Tahir and the Super Kings as they came unstuck against Durban's Super Giants in Qualifier 2, but there can be little doubt that Tahir, who boasted the best economy within the JSK bowling attack, will aim to be back for some more love come Season 3.