Tahir perrenial optimist

IMRAN Tahir should stick to cricket. Which‚ as the number one ranked bowler in one-day internationals and T20s‚ he is doing better than most. Good‚ because his rugby knowledge is hopeless.

And that despite counting among his friends Sonny Bill Williams‚ the All Black backline star who has become close to South Africa’s cricketers‚ particularly those with whom he shares the Muslim faith.

“We always pray for him that he keeps doing well for New Zealand‚” Tahir told reporters in Auckland yesterday. So far so fine. Then Tahir put both feet into touch and bowled an accidental wrong ’un all in the space of eight short words: “... but next time South Africa might beat them.”

The Springboks‚ who lost eight of the dozen Tests they played last year‚ beat the All Blacks who won 13 of their 14 games? Bowl the other one‚ Imran. The South Africans‚ who arrived in New Zealand this week in preparation for a tour that starts with a T20 in Auckland today‚ had already hooked up with Williams.

Tahir first met Williams years ago.

But there’s no doubt Williams cannot bowl as well as Tahir. In fact‚ neither can anyone else. Tahir did not follow the tedious convention of downplaying the significance of the rankings.

“It’s very special‚” he said. “When I started playing cricket I never thought I’d be the number one bowler.

“It’s all the hard work I’ve done‚” said Tahir. — TMG two