Tahir targets Aussie scalps
Spinner not into containing batsmen, but will if game dictates it
IN WRIST spinners Imran Tahir and Adam Zampa, SA and Australia each carry secret weapons going into the first of five one-day internationals in Centurion on Friday.
A lot has been said about the pace attacks that will open fire at SuperSport Park but telling contributions could come from unlikely avenues.
Zampa’s three-wicket return helped Australia get past Ireland in Benoni this week and Tahir was wary of what he could do further into the series.
“Zampa is a very good bowler and he’s proved that in the last year while he’s played all over the world and in the Indian Premier League,” said Tahir.
Having just returned from a stint with county side Nottinghamshire, Tahir said he had prepared for the change in conditions from what he experienced in the West Indies the last time he turned out for the Proteas.
Tahir took 13 wickets in five completed matches during the Tri-Nations series between Australia, SA and the Windies, THE standoff between Cobras players and their coach‚ Paul Adams‚ leapt the boundary on Wednesday when the South African Cricketers’ Association (Saca) took the matter to the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
The move is the latest twist in a saga that has been brewing for months and came to a head two weeks ago when it emerged 10 of the franchise’s 17 contracted players had filed a formal grievance against Adams.
A Saca media release put out on Wednesday spoke of “a breakdown in the relationship between the majority of the Cobras including a whimsical 7/45 in nine overs at St Kitts against the hosts.
Although South African pitches do not offer him the bite and turn he experienced in the Caribbean, Tahir said he was still gunning for Aussie wickets.
“Honestly, I’ll never look to contain the batsman,” he said.
“I always try to take wickets but there are times in the game where you have to contain and I’m definitely aware of that.
“Playing in SA, you have to have a clear mind regarding how you want to bowl. If you bowl according to what you feel, I’m pretty sure you’ll do well. “You have to try to use more variations instead of trying to bowl wicket to wicket.
“But you have to stick to what’s going well for you on the day. The conditions will be different to those that we last played in [the West Indies], so I don’t think the ball is going to spin much here especially in the first two games,” he said.
Series between SA and Australia always bring drama, no matter how big or small. The three Twenty20 World Cup warm-up games played here before the tournament in India had fans on the edge of their seats.
And it seems that no limited-overs series is ever wrapped up in advance when the two teams face each other. It means the Proteas will have to come up with fresh ways to consistently outwit the Aussies.
One such way is the use of Tahir at the death. It is risky but the leg spinner has a tendency of making things awkward for batsmen who try to put him away — when he gets his length right.
“I’ve been bowling a few overs at the death recently,” said Tahir. “But you have to work really hard at practice because if you miss your target during the game you’re going to go for a boundary. Spinners hardly bowl in the last 10 overs but I’ve been lucky enough to bowl on a few occasions. I’ve enjoyed it.
“From my personal experience, spinners want to go for as little runs as they can at the death, which shifts the pressure to the opposition batsmen. That then opens up the possibility of them making mistakes and us picking up one or two wickets.
“As much as I always look to take wickets, at the death you have to sacrifice that option and look to bowl dot balls or go for six runs an over or less.”