Why is Imran Tahir in SA team?

[Iconoclast]

Imran is no better or no worst than anything India have at the moment. :bumsmack:

[The Outsider]

He is not all that bad as is being made out in the thread and certainly not bad for the standards of a South African spinner. He's played all his test cricket in England, South Africa and New Zealand, places not exactly known to help spin bowling and in the recent series bowled as good or as bad as the highest ranked spinner in the world. Leg spin is difficult to control and requires a lot of patience against quality batsmen, something which Warne and Kumble had a lot of. He is very inexperienced at the international level and certainly can improve. Moreover, a captain's role is also important in handling a leg spinner. Having him bowl round the stumps the entire day is not smart captaincy. Also in a 5 man attack Kallis can do the holding up job and Tahir can be used as an option who might get spanked for a few but can still get wickets. Harris was a joke. Even in this series, Headingly and Lords have always been very poor tracks for spinners, so much so that England did not even play theirs at Headingly and he did okay at the Oval.

[Chandan]

He is not all that bad as is being made out in the thread and certainly not bad for the standards of a South African spinner. He's played all his test cricket in England, South Africa and New Zealand, places not exactly known to help spin bowling and in the recent series bowled as good or as bad as the highest ranked spinner in the world. Leg spin is difficult to control and requires a lot of patience against quality batsmen, something which Warne and Kumble had a lot of. He is very inexperienced at the international level and certainly can improve. Moreover, a captain's role is also important in handling a leg spinner. Having him bowl round the stumps the entire day is not smart captaincy. Also in a 5 man attack Kallis can do the holding up job and Tahir can be used as an option who might get spanked for a few but can still get wickets. Harris was a joke. Even in this series, Headingly and Lords have always been very poor tracks for spinners, so much so that England did not even play theirs at Headingly and he did okay at the Oval.

Also few of his catches were dropped behind the wicket because keeper was a part-timer. A spinner needs a good keeper behind the wickets and then only he gets the confidence to try few of his tricks like drawing a batsman forward, beating him with flight to get him stumped or tricking him with sharp spin and bounce so that keeper can take the catch. All these options were gone here and Tahir knew that Oval itself!

[Sean Bradley]

Traditionally in cricket, as a Leg Spinner if you suck against England then you are considered mediocre.

[ravishingravi]

SA must take pledge. Never again. Never again. Imran Tahir should be kept away from Test cricket. Peterson brings a lot more to the team and can bat.

[ravishingravi]

Although I would like Sachin to face him in nets. Would give lot of confidence

[Zero_Unit]

Calm down they can't produce proper spinners so what ever bits and pieces they get they will play lol