Proteas captain AB de Villiers has backed Imran Tahir to rediscover his form, saying the leg-spinner is “still one of my go-to guys” in the one-day international set-up.
Tahir was one of the stars of last year’s Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, taking 15 wickets to be named in the 2015 ICC Team of the Year.
But his performances have been on the wane since the heartbreaking semi-final defeat to New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland.
Tahir has taken just 16 wickets in 14 ODIs, starting with the Bangladesh series in July 2015 up to Tuesday night’s seven-wicket win over England at Centurion. His economy rate during that period was 5.39, compared to his career mark of 4.64, with his average also ballooning to 42.75 in series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, India and now England, well above his 24.65 in 52 matches (86 wickets).
There is no doubt that he is a match-winner in ODI cricket when he gets it right, as he has most of the time in his 52-game career that starting at the 2011 World Cup.
So it is understandable that De Villiers regards him as one of the stalwarts of the South African line-up. But where do you draw the line?
What is most concerning for the Pakistani-born tweaker, who turns 37 next month, is the fact that he battled to even pitch the ball at Centurion on Tuesday. He bowled a number of full tosses to concede 56 runs without a wicket in eight overs, which came off the back of figures of 2/71 in 10 overs in Bloemfontein and 0/66 off 10 in Port Elizabeth.
Yes, most of the bowlers have been punished by an in-form England batting line-up, but that wasn’t the case in the last series in India. Tahir had a reasonable time against New Zealand in South Africa in August, taking five wickets in three games with an excellent run-rate of 3.93. But on the sub-continent, he went for 5.61 while taking seven wickets in five ODIs.
The Proteas skipper, though, believes things will get better. “I still believe he is one of the best bowlers in the world. He is still one of my go-to guys and he’s got a lot of X-factor about him – we know that,” De Villiers said at a press conference after the Centurion game.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he will play a role somewhere in the series and hopefully win a game for us and (make) an impact like we all know he can.”
The dilemma for De Villiers and Proteas coach Russell Domingo is the fact that there isn’t really anybody else pushing for the spinner’s berth in the ODI outfit.
In the domestic One-Day Cup, the leading spinner in terms of wickets is Knights captain Werner Coetsee, who is 12th on the overall wicket-takers’ list with nine in eight matches. Coetzee does boast a superb economy rate of just 3.98, but is the 32-year-old really an international-class turner? Probably not.
The next on that list is veteran Cape Cobras left-armer Robin Peterson, who has eight wickets in five matches, with a run-rate of 4.22. But the 36-year-old last featured for the Proteas in November 2014 against Australia in Sydney – where he actually took 4/32 – and is not part of Domingo’s plans any longer.
The other alternatives are the experienced Lions off-spinner Aaron Phangiso – who retained his Proteas contract recently – his franchise teammate Eddie Leie and Dolphins left-armer Keshav Maharaj. The trio had fruitful campaigns in the RamSlam T20 Challenge late last year, with Phangiso third on the leading wicket-takers’ list with 15, Leie joint-fourth with 14 and Maharaj joint-ninth on 12.
Phangiso played for South Africa A in a 50-over tour game against England in Kimberley before the ODI series, and conceded 57 runs in seven overs as the tourists blasted 368/7.
Test incumbent Dane Piedt was out injured for several months last year, and will need time to stake his claim for the ODI side in future.
So, there isn’t much out there for Domingo and De Villiers to look at in terms of spinning options. But with the England series on the line again in Friday’s fourth ODI at the Wanderers, the Proteas brainstrust will wish that Tahir quickly finds his range.
Otherwise, the South Africans may surrender a Test and ODI series double for the first time in 14 years on home soil, with Australia the last team to achieve the feat in 2002.
@IndyCapeSport