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Imran Tahir has high hopes from South Africa at 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup

Tahir, 39, last played an ODI in February and was rested for the recent tour of Sri Lanka as Cricket South Africa kept an eye on the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir has played 85 ODIs for South Africa. @Getty

Imran Tahir, the 10th-ranked bowler in ODIs, believes that South Africa are contenders for the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, which he hopes will act as a fitting farewell for Dale Steyn.

Tahir, 39, last played an ODI in February and was rested for the recent tour of Sri Lanka as Cricket South Africa (CSA) kept an eye on the 2019 Cricket World Cup. When announcing the squad for Sri Lanka, in which left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi were named, CSA convenor of selectors stated that Tahir can expect to be the main spinner for the team at the 2019 World Cup.

“I’m looking at next year’s World Cup as a tournament that South Africa can do well in. We have a good team and have a great bunch of guys who will fight to the end and never give up. I can’t predict that we will win the World Cup but I’m pretty sure we can get through to the semi-finals and then anything is possible,” Tahir, currently playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, told pakpassion.net recently.

Steyn, who has been hit by a spate of injuries over the last two years, last month stated that next summer’s World Cup in England will be his final act as an ODI cricketer. Tahir was hopeful that South Africa could send off Steyn, who has not played an ODI since October 2016, with a fitting farewell.

“Just like Jacques Kallis, you simply cannot replace Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn who have been great servants of South African cricket. I salute such great performers and I hope that as a team South Africa can give Dale Steyn a great send-off from white ball cricket next year at the World Cup.”

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