Tahir advised 10 days' rest; unlikely to play against India

South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir was today rendered doubtful starter for Saturday's high-octane World Cup clash against India as he has been advised 10 days' rest to recover from a thumb fracture.


In pic: Imran Tahir during a training session © Getty Images

Tahir sustained the injury to his left hand during his side's six-run defeat against England in Chennai on March 6. "It was a chipped fracture. Scans have been sent back to South Africa and the period of recovery recommended is for 10 days. Imran bowled in the nets this morning and he's fine because the injury is not on the bowling hand. "The selectors will decide when the 10-day period starts, whether it starts now or after the game against India. Imran is pretty much part of the World Cup squad," South African team manager Mohammed Moosajee told reporters here today.

The Pakistan-born 31-year-old spinner has been a revelation in the World Cup so far, taking 11 wickets in three matches, the highest by a South African in the tournament. He is behind Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, who has 15 wickets from four matches. Asked specifically whether Tahir will play the match against India, Moosajee said, "As of now he is available for selection. It's entirely on the selectors to take a call when to give him the rest. It may be decided on the day of the match."

South Africa are likely to name off-spinner Johan Botha as replacement if Tahir misses the match against India. The Proteas' last two matches at group stage are against Ireland on March 15 and Bangladesh on March 19 while the knock-out stage begins from March 23. Tahir made his international debut in this World Cup after qualifying to play for his adopted country through marriage in January. —PTI

South Africa suffer Tahir injury scare

South Africa suffered a World Cup injury scare on Wednesday when in-form leg-spinner Imran Tahir fractured his left thumb.

In pic: Imran Tahir at South Africa's training session © Getty Images

"Imran injured himself during the game against England while attempting the caught and bowled, which dismissed Jonathan Trott," said Proteas manager Mohammed Moosajee.

"The X-Ray revealed a small undisplaced fracture in his left thumb. The images have been sent home to Cricket South Africa's medical committee and we are waiting for the hand specialist, Dr Mike Solomons, to give us an opinion.

"His thumb has been splintered and immobilised and a decision on what happens further will be made in the next two days."

Tahir is the tournament's second-highest wicket-taker with 11 victims in three matches.

South Africa, who lost by just six runs to England, tackle India on Saturday. —AFP

I'm trying hard to bowl away from stumps: Tahir

South Africa's Imran Tahir made a memorable ODI debut with a four-wicket haul against West Indies in the World Cup match here today but the Pakistan-born leg-spinner almost ruined his party with a double warning for running on to the pitch. In his only outing in the ODIs as well as World Cup, Tahir returned with figures of four for 41 to help South Africa bowl out West Indies for a modest 222 in a Group 'B' match.

But during his impressive spell today, Tahir was cautioned twice by Australian umpire Simon Taufel for running on to danger zone and the 31-year-old leggie said he is trying hard not to repeat the mistake in the upcoming matches. "I'm not comfortable bowling away from the stumps, but I'm working hard on it," said Tahir after the first innings of the match at the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium.

"I want to get it right. I don't want to get a third warning and not be able to bowl," he added. Tahir, who was born in Lahore and has got the license to play for the Proteas after marrying a South African girl, also said that his skipper Graeme Smith has plenty of faith in his abilities. "Graeme (Smith) had a lot of confidence in me. I bowled well in the second spell, some days you have a bad day, some day a good on, today was a good day," he said. "In the powerplays, varying the pace is the key," Tahir added. —AFP

Pakistan-born Tahir added to South Africa's WCup squad

JOHANNESBURG: Imran Tahir's hopes of playing for South Africa at the cricket World Cup were boosted today when the Pakistan-born legspinner was added to a provisional squad for next month's tournament. Cricket South Africa said the 31-year-old Tahir, a former Pakistan A international, has replaced batsman Jonathan Vandiar in its 30-man preliminary squad for the February 19-April 2 event in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - where spin bowling on slow, turning wickets is likely to be crucial to teams' hopes.

CSA said Vandiar had withdrawn "gracefully" from the 30-man squad to allow Tahir, an impressive performer in South African domestic cricket this season, to take his place. "We feel that we need to widen our bowling options," said CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson. "I have discussed the matter with Jonathan and I would like to express my gratitude to him ... He knows he is very much part of our plans going forward."

Tahir was granted South African citizenship last month and is now eligible to play for his new country after meeting International Cricket Council and South African government criteria. He had been picked in South Africa's test squad in January 2010, only for CSA to withdraw him after it was discovered he was not yet eligible. Tahir is married to a South African and plays for the Durban-based Dolphins team, where he has taken a competition-leading 42 wickets in just five matches in the four-day SuperSport Series. He had 15 wickets in South Africa's 40-over tournament at an average of just 17. He has also played for Hampshire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire in England.

The attacking legspinner had already been included in South Africa's squad for the upcoming five-match one-day series against India and celebrated his call-up with 12 wickets in a man of the match performance for the Dolphins over the weekend. Tahir could make his South Africa debut on Wednesday in the first one-dayer against India at Kingsmead in Durban - his home ground. South Africa has never won the World Cup and has regularly underperformed at cricket's showpiece limited-overs tournament. -AP

Imran Tahir makes SA's one-day squad

After a long wait, Imran Tahir is finally in line for his South African debut © Getty Images

Imran Tahir, the Pakistan-born legspinner who was recently granted South African citizenship, is one of two debutants named in South Africa's 14-man squad to play India in their five-match ODI series.

Titans allrounder Faf du Plessis is the other new cap, while Jacques Kallis was not considered because of an injury sustained to his rib during the current Test series and Mark Boucher remains out of South Africa's limited-overs plans.

South Africa have picked five spinners in their squad in preparation for the World Cup in the subcontinent which starts in February. Tahir and du Plessis join Johan Botha, JP Duminy and Robin Petersen to form an arsenal of slower bowling.

"Faf du Plessis has grabbed his opportunity this season as Colin Ingram did the previous season," said convener of selectors Andrew Hudson. "Both he and Tahir had outstanding campaigns in the MTN40 and we are looking forward to see how they take their game up to the next level."

Tahir's name has been linked with national selection since January last year when he was picked in South Africa's Test squad to face England in the fourth Test. However, he was found to be ineligible to play for South Africa because he did not have the required residency permit, despite being married to a South African.

Cricket South Africa intervened to speed up the process but Tahir only qualified to play for the national team almost a year later, on New Year's Day 2011.

A wrist spinner is perhaps the one missing element in South Africa's bowling attack and Tahir was widely touted as the man to fill the role. He has taken 15 wickets at an average of 17.00 in nine matches in the MTN40 competition this season and in his 96 List A appearances has 140 scalps at an average of 22.74.

He has also had successful stints at Hampshire and Warwickshire in English domestic limited-overs cricket. He is not part of South African's 30-man provisional World Cup squad but his selection for the India series is an indication that may change.

Du Plessis, who is part of the provisional World Cup squad, earns his maiden call-up after a sensational MTN40 campaign in which he scored 567 runs, including three centuries, and boasted an average of 81. He is also a handy leg-break bowler and athletic fielder.

The five match series is South Africa's last outing before the Word Cup. The first match will be played in Durban on Wednesday.

South Africa ODI squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Petersen, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe -ESPNcricinfo