ICC World Cup 2019 | I’ve prepared myself for the farewell, says Imran Tahir

07/05/2019

Imran Tahir, who will play his last ODI for South Africa on Saturday, says that he has emotionally prepared himself for the big moment. However, Tahir is not worried about the future of South African cricket as he firmly believes in the talented youngsters emerging in the country.

Coming into the World Cup on the back of a brilliant IPL season, where he finished as the leading wicket taker with 26 scalps to his name, Tahir was all set for a good tournament with his country. Although the leg spinner has performed consistently, South Africa have not lived up to the standards expected of them. And so, with just two wins from eight matches, they will now play Australia on Saturday before heading back home.

The match, however, isn’t entirely a dead rubber. Australia will look to seal the top spot in the table. But, perhaps more importantly, it will be the 107th and final ODI for Tahir in the South African jersey.

"As a team, we need to think about finishing on a good note. But it makes me feel very sad and emotional that I'm going to leave. It was always my dream to play international cricket and I'm really grateful to everyone who helped me along the way. They accepted me for who I was, the guy who came from overseas. It's a big moment of my life, now is the right time to go. It will be quite a hurtful and sad moment for me but I've prepared myself for that," Tahir told AFP.

However, Tahir wasn’t too concerned with the near ‘embarrassing’ performances by his team. He, much like the rest of the South African squad, admitted that the team has been poor, but backed the young crop of talented players to step up to the plate and carry the mantle forward.

"I'm not worried about (the) future of the team -- there are a lot of youngsters. I strongly believe there is lots of talent but they just need experience and then they'll get to the stage where everyone wants to see South African cricket. People expect higher and a lot from us -– this World Cup was totally different but I'm pretty sure things will be fine for South Africa," Tahir said.

Always known for his dramatic long run in celebration of a wicket, or sometimes even a catch in the outfield, Tahir admitted that he hasn’t planned anything extra for his farewell match, and that he had never planned anything even before.

"There won't be anything extra because I don't have a clue what I do when I take wickets to be honest with you! I got to where I am today by coming through really tough times, so that's probably why I want to release whatever is inside me," Tahir added.

Left handed batsman, and part-time spinner, JP Duminy will also be playing his last ODI for South Africa tomorrow.