At 47, Imran Tahir Oldest To Pick 5-Wicket Haul In T20 Cricket
Veteran South African spinner Imran Tahir, at 47, continues to defy age in the Caribbean Premier League, crediting his son's persistent encouragement for his record-breaking five-wicket haul.
Key Points
- Imran Tahir, at 47, became the oldest player to achieve a five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, securing figures of 5/17 for Guyana Amazon Warriors.
- Tahir credits his son's encouragement as the primary motivation for him to continue playing professional cricket.
- The veteran spinner aims to contain opposition in the middle overs with an attacking approach, prioritising team success over personal milestones.
- Guyana Amazon Warriors have qualified for the playoffs and are preparing for a crucial match against Trinbago Knight Riders.
Veteran spinner Imran Tahir credited his son for motivating him to continue his cricketing career after leading Guyana Amazon Warriors to a four-wicket victory over St Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League.
The 47-year-old South African spinner became the oldest player to claim a five-wicket haul in T20 cricket when he achieved the feat at Providence on September 9.
Motivation Behind The Performance
The Guyana Amazon Warriors captain and premier spinner continued to impress in his late 40s in the Caribbean Premier League, with his son serving as a key motivation for him to continue playing.
Tahir returned sensational figures of 5/17 in four overs, including 15 dot balls -- his best-ever figures in T20 cricket.
The performance came in his 461st match in the shortest format, more than two decades after he first played T20 cricket in domestic cricket in Pakistan in 2006.
Speaking after the match, Tahir said his role was to contain the opposition in the middle overs while maintaining an attacking approach.
"For me, my role is obviously to contain (the opposition) in the middle," Tahir said after the victory.
"I'm an attacking bowler. If the wickets come, I don't mind. I think my son is the main guy who has been pushing me. He keeps telling me: 'Daddy, one more year...one more year and then you need to play with me'.
"So, it's a kind of motivation; I want to give it to him and all the youngsters who are watching me around the world," he added.
Hard Work And Team Goals
Tahir said the motivation from his son has encouraged him to continue putting in the hard work and set an example for young cricketers.
Reflecting on his performance, the spinner said he was pleased to see his hard work translate into the desired result, while stressing that personal milestones were not his primary objective.
"I put a lot of hard work into it and it's nice to see how it comes out the way you want it. It's not the personal achievement I look for. We work hard to get the personal achievement but I'm very lucky I delivered today," Tahir said.
Amazon Warriors, who have already qualified for the play-offs, will meet Trinbago Knight Riders, who are just alive in the race for the knockouts, in their penultimate group-stage game on Friday, September 11.
The CPL's fiercest rivalry tends to produce some spicy contests. For instance, when Amazon Warriors played TKR at Providence in the CPL 2025 final, Pollard was booed to which he reacted strongly at the time.
"The [Guyana] fans have always been there and really grateful to them," Tahir said.
"They come every year in big numbers and we highly appreciate their support because when we play here, it's different than anywhere else. That kind of motivates me as well. Look, Trinidad is a very, very good team and it's a good challenge again. We are looking at one game at a time and we need to come up with our plans. They need to come with their plans and we can't wait for the game."