‘That was the turning point of the game,’ Imran Tahir toasts his 100th CPL wicket

Imran Tahir, who is currently 45 years old and the oldest player in the CPL, became the first foreign bowler to collect 100 wickets in the league during his seventh season—and second as captain—at the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Tahir achieved the landmark when, in the Amazon Warriors’ victorious 135-run defence against the Providence turner, he had Hassan Khan of the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons holing out to Gudakesh Motie just at the edge of the midwicket boundary.

The skilled spinner Hassan holed out for 10 off 12 balls, bringing the Falcons down to 41 for 3 in the eighth over before being bowled out for 108.

Imran Tahir treasured the achievement, describing it as a pivotal milestone.

Tahir remarked, “I think he [Motie] took a really good catch,” following the Amazon Warriors’ playoff berth. “Getting Hassan out at that crucial moment was important for the team because he is a very dangerous player who plays spin very well. I was quite pleased with that.” I’m simply happy it worked out since Motie put in a really fantastic effort. That was the tipping point for me to start playing the game again.”

Tahir launched into a famous sprint in excitement after Motie’s successful catch, even parodying Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siuuu’ celebration. Tahir trapped Kofi James with another slider in his subsequent over, taking him for 27 off 23 balls.

Although Tahir, then 44, led the Amazon Warriors to their first championship, it was not a popular decision when he was named captain that season. Following through as captain, Tahir encountered another setback when he sustained an injury midway through the season. However, he bounced back and guided the Amazon Warriors into the playoffs once more.

“I just wanna be really grateful to Guyana for giving me the opportunity over the years to come and play here in this beautiful country,” said the player. “Although getting 100 CPL wickets is a personal accomplishment, I always want to help the team, so I hope that my achievement also includes that. I’m thrilled with this milestone, which is really excellent.”

Moeen Ali’s estimated 42 off 33 balls, which helped the Amazon Warriors rally from 85 for 5 to 135 for 7, was also acknowledged by Tahir. Moeen was cautious when facing Chris Green’s offspin, but in the 19th over, he set up left-arm fingerspinner Imad Wasim for an explosive sequence of 4, 6, 6, 6, 0, 4.

The batters for the Amazon Warriors have excelled in dominating their matchups thus far this season. Romario Shepherd, for example, played out Fabian Allen and Shamar Springer, who has quite a few slower variations in his repertoire, and instead hammered Mohammad Amir for 15 off five balls when they met the Falcons in North Sound earlier this season.

“We knew it was going to be difficult from the start,” Tahir explained. Since we didn’t lose many wickets, I believe we were alright even though we could have done a better job with the powerplay. Actually, this year is very different from last; the batters are finding it difficult to adjust. Moeen performed incredibly well, in my opinion.

He obviously had a chance, but he really seemed to take full use of it and shine. The game was modified by one over. Although we knew we could defend as a bowling unit from 135 to 140, we were still of the opinion that we might have performed better.”

The Providence has been a pillar of support for the Amazon Warriors; their 1.71 win-loss record at this location leads all CPL teams playing at home. Although Tahir felt that the Guyana crowd was mostly responsible for Amazon Warriors’ consistent success at home, the team has always had a deep and varied spin assault.

“Every game is sold out and we appreciate the support from the community,” Tahir remarked. Over the years, we have thought that, as professional athletes, we should play somewhere we truly enjoy ourselves. For the past seven years, I have had the great fortune to be a part of this franchise.

That is the only thing that comes to mind—it’s been amazing. I think it’s the support, and I just want to thank everyone in Guyana and anywhere else Guyanese people are in the world. The skills are there, and it’s clear that you’ve completed your homework, hard work, and this and that. We enjoy playing here, and it’s fantastic.”

“Shoulda, coulda, woulda” is how Falcons captain Green sums up the campaign.

Falcons captain Green was left wondering, speculatively, “what might have been,” following the team’s group-stage elimination in their inaugural CPL season. As captain, Green oversaw four home losses in five North Sound matches, with Brandon King sidelined due to injury at the beginning of the tournament. Despite defeating the formidable Trinbago Knight Riders, the Falcons were already out from the playoff race.

“Being a captain was a great challenge,” Green remarked. “I was informed at the eleventh hour that Antigua would be my destination. Luckily, my team consists of some truly amazing individuals. Though those first two games were really close losses, we still had a great time together and thought back on the season: shoulda, coulda, woulda. We had moments when we played pretty poorly and moments when we showed flashes of our potential. Throughout the tournament, we were definitely let down by both our fielding and our inability to score many large runs.”

But Jewel Andrew—the youngest player to ever participate in the CPL—as well as the reappearance of Justin Greaves and Shamar Springer gave Green hope.

“You observe a few solo performances. “Juan Justin Greaves opening the batting and having the kind of tournament he had,” stated Green. “Shamar Springer, another player who used the ball, sadly sustained an injury. If he had taken more wickets and concluded a fantastic tournament, which he deserved, it would have been wonderful. Subsequently, Jewel Andrew, a 17-year-old who made his tournament debut, performed admirably. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t play better in the closing stages.

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I can immediately think of three. Together with the other boys on the team, they had simply amazing individual performances throughout the competition, and they have bright futures ahead of them.”