Tahir rested for Sri Lanka tour as rival spinners tested
NO AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel was a given‚ no Dale Steyn was all but confirmed last week‚ but no Imran Tahir?
The leg spinner is South Africa’s topranked one-day bowler‚ second among the world’s spinners‚ and sixth overall.
Why would the selectors not pick him for the five ODIs and sole T20 South Africa will play in Sri Lanka next month and August?
“We have taken the strategic decision to rest Imran Tahir so that we can get a clearer picture as to who our best second spinner is to back him up at the World Cup‚” selection convener Linda Zondi said in a Cricket South Africa release yesterday that named South Africa’s squad.
“Imran will be our first-choice spinner at the World Cup [in England next June] but‚ if we play him against Sri Lanka‚ it is unlikely that we will be able to play both Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj.
“By taking this route, we will be able to play the two of them together.
“Tabraiz has been the outstanding bowler in franchise white-ball cricket this past season.
“Keshav has been outstanding for us in red-ball cricket and we need to give him the opportunity to show us what he can do at international level in the ODI format.”
Left-arm wrist spinner Shamsi was the leading wicket-taker and topped the averages in last season’s franchise one-day competition.
He had the third-best strike rate and was 11th in terms of economy rate with a respectable 4.50.
To pigeonhole left-arm orthodox spinner Maharaj‚ who has taken 74 wickets in his 20 tests‚ as a one-format specialist would insult this intelligent‚ versatile player.
He has featured in only two ODIs – both against England last year – and deserves more.
But without Steyn‚ who said last week that he would return to Hampshire after the test series that starts the tour to Sri Lanka‚ Morkel‚ who retired from international cricket in April‚ and Tahir‚ South Africa could be short on experience.
Kagiso Rabada‚ Andile Phehlukwayo and Lungi Ngidi have played 77 ODIs between them‚ and more than half of those caps – 48 – belong to Rabada. Steyn‚ Morkel and Tahir have more than four times as many games in the 50-over stuff behind them: 318.
The South Africa A squad to play four-day games in India next month and August was also named‚ along with a side for a triangular A team tournament featuring India and Australia in India.
The squads: