Pakistan-born South Africa international Imran Tahir has joined Nottinghamshire until the end of the season.

Notts will become the 28th team of the 36-year-old’s professional career having previously represented Middlesex, Yorkshire, Hampshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire in county cricket, as well as a whole host of professional, representative and international sides in Pakistan and South Africa.

Beginning his career as a Pakistani cricketer, Tahir played for Lahore City, Water & Power Development Authority, REDCO Pakistan Ltd, Lahore Whites, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd, Sialkot, Lahore Blues, Pakistan International Airlines, Lahore Ravi and Lahore Lions. He went on to represent Pakistan under 19s and Pakistan A.

Whilst qualifying to play for South Africa, Tahir played fir the Titans, Easterns, Dolphins and Lions. He also represented their President’s XI, A Team, Invitational XI and the touring South Africans before going on to become a full international for the Proteas in all three forms of the game since 2011.

Delivering his leg-spin from a height of 5ft 10in - tall enough for exaggerated bounce, yet small enough to give it some air - Tahir went wicketless in his first Test as a Protea, but played his part in victory over Australia by eight wickets. 

He has now racked up 16 Test matches and has taken 43 wickets.

He has a Test career-best of 5-32, secured during an emphatic victory over Pakistan back in October 2013, where South Africa won by an innings and 92 runs.

It is in the white ball arena where Tahir has really shone for his adopted country taking 72 ODI wickets, across 41 fixtures, at an average of 21.54. In international T20, his average with the ball is just 14.68 having taken 25 wickets in 16 matches.

Tahir is no stranger to taking wickets at Trent Bridge having done so on 15 occasions in first-class cricket, including a telling spell of 4-55 for Hampshire in 2008.

His record in four day cricket against Nottinghamshire stands at 23 wickets with an average of 33.69, indicating that Notts have played him better than most in county cricket where his 29 first-class matches for Hampshire and Warwickshire have brought 130 wickets at an average of 25.46.

At the recent ICC Cricket World Cup, Tahir was Player of the Match in South Africa’s quarter-final victory over Sri Lanka having secured figures of 4-26.

Turning in match-winning performances on such a lofty world stage is certainly a far cry from spending eight years plying his trade in the North Staffs and South Cheshire League, prior to earning his first meaningful contract in county cricket. 

He will wear shirt number 99.

 

International Career Record

Tests 16

Runs 109 HS 29*

Wickets 43 BB 5/32

Catches 7

 

ODIs 41

Runs 61 HS 23*

Wickets 72 BB 5/45

Catches 10

 

T20i 16

Runs 17 HS 19*

Wickets 25 BB 4/21

Catches 3