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Imran Tahir to play his final ODI against Australia in World Cup 2019; gets ready for an emotional farewell
Imran Tahir is just one of the few players who announced his retirement from ODIs after the World Cup 2019
South Africa will play their last World Cup game on Saturday against Australia. It will also be Imran Tahir's last ODI game in national colours, as the leg-spinner had announced his retirement from the format after the end of the edition.
The 40-year old had made his debut in the 2011 World Cup aged 32, and has picked up 172 wickets in the course of his eight-year international journey where he played 106 games. The game on Saturday will be his 107th match.
The 2019 World Cup, however, has not panned out as per expectations for the Pakistan-born Tahir, as the team has managed to win just two games in eight outings. He will be looking to end on a high in a game that will be emotional.
"As a team, we need to think about finishing on a good note," he said. "But it makes me feel very sad and emotional that I'm going to leave.
"It was always my dream to play international cricket and I'm really grateful to everyone who helped me along on the way. They accepted me for who I was, the guy who came from overseas.
"It's a big moment of my life –I always wanted to play cricket and play as long as I could and now is the right time to go.
"It will be quite a hurtful and sad moment for me but I've prepared myself for that, so hopefully it will go well for me and the team."
Fans will also hope that Tahir can take at least a wicket on Saturday, so they can witness his trademark celebration that sees him spreading his arms and running half-way across the pitch for the last time.
"There won't be anything extra because I don't have a clue what I do when I take wickets to be honest with you!" explained a smiling Tahir.
"I got to where I am today by coming through really tough times, so that's probably why I want to release whatever is inside me."
