Tahir: People remind me that I'm one of the oldest guys in world cricket
Imran Tahir sets off on his celebratory run • CPL T20
Imran Tahir and his celebrations have acquired cult status in Guyana, but at 47 he knows that he's only a "couple of bad games" away from inviting pressure.
"Going around the different islands and meet different cultures and people, it's been a great journey," Tahir said in the lead-up to Amazon Warriors' clash against Antigua & Barbuda Falcons in Qualifier 1. I'm grateful to our president Dr Irfaan Ali and Dr Ramroop [GAW owner]. It could be difficult sometimes playing franchise cricket and things can go negative very quickly. Maybe a couple of bad games and people start questioning, especially a guy like me who is probably the oldest guy playing in world cricket right now.
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"I mean people don't shy away reminding me about it but that gives me more motivation to work harder and come back strongly every year. But I'm just really grateful for the opportunity, thanks to the CPL. I'm just trying to do my best and make sure we as a team try to win this year. I feel like we truly deserve it."
On Sunday, when Tahir was in action against Barbados Tridents, he became the first overseas player to feature in 100 CPL games. He is now two strikes away from surpassing Sunil Narine as the highest wicket-taker in the history of the CPL.
Over the years, Tahir has represented almost 60 teams around the world, but in the CPL, he has remained loyal to Amazon Warriors. Having felt the love and support of the Amazon Warriors fans for eight seasons since 2019, Tahir now wants to give back to the people of Guyana.
"It's just amazing to see the whole country involved and right behind the team," Tahir said. "Anywhere you go, any street in Guyana people talk about cricket. When they see and pay a lot of respect, that's the only reason I get motivated when I see the kids come up to me and anybody working on the road to guys in the office. That gives a lot of courage to do well for the country, so being a captain I can pass the clear message to my team-mates as well.
"Time to time, it can be tough. We've been on the road and it's not easy being away from family and things like that. But at the end of the day, we're here to do our job and we need to be as honest as we can with the Guyanese people and the brand we represent."
Before taking charge of Amazon Warriors in 2023, Tahir had captained just once in T20 cricket, way back in 2006, when he was still playing in Pakistan, his country of birth. His appointment as CPL captain was a surprise to many, including him, but in his first season as captain, he led Amazon Warriors to their first title. He is hungry to add another CPL title to his cabinet.
"I want to be honest. I can say it [captaincy] was a surprise," Tahir said. "But on the other side, not really. I like challenges. There was a couple of points I had to present to the owner, and we were just talking about it. He just asked me what do you think if you want to go ahead and be captain. I probably had a 30-second break in between and said: 'Sir, I really like challenges and if you give me an opportunity, I will give my 200% commitment to the team'.
"That [captaincy] is the last thing I want to learn in cricket. It's been tough. You need to be responsible about many things - not just cricket. It's been a great journey for me, especially from a learning point of view. I hope I justify the role for the team - Guyana Amazon Warriors and the people of Guyana."
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