Imran Tahir turned 46 this March but continues his Benjamin Button act in T20 tournaments around the world. In 2023 he led Guyana Amazon Warriors to their maiden CPL title and two years later he captained them to their first Global Super League title. Since turning 40, he has bagged 266 wickets at an economy rate of 6.86 in T20s. Only Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, Chris Jordan, Wanindu Hasaranga and Shaheen Afridi have taken more wickets than Tahir during this period. The T20 veteran spoke to us during the GSL this July about his cult status in Guyana, captaincy style, Amazon Warriors' spin depth, and his ambitions for the upcoming CPL season.
You have played for a whole lot of T20 teams around the world but you keep coming back to Guyana. You're the only overseas player with more than 100 CPL wickets. What's it like to be a cult hero in Guyana?
Look, it's very special. The team gives me all the confidence and still believes in my ability. The people of Guyana really respect and give me a lot of love, and I think that's where you want to be. With that kind of love you always want to come back and play for the same badge, and you just want to be here every year.
I think I need to do a lot of extra gym work to be here every year (laughs). But as long as I'm doing well for the team and what they require from me, if I justify it, then inshallah, I can keep coming back to Guyana.
You turned 46 this year but you keep finding ways to take wickets and win games. How do you manage your body and mind in this fast-paced T20 world?
Yeah, look, it's tough. But I'm a bit lucky now because I have more time to do training than [having to] keep playing. I think that gives me a bit more benefit - I look after myself well, eat well and try to sleep on time and just be loyal to my job. Then when I get to play, I know I can give my 100% to my team.
You had a great GSL, where you led from the front. How has the build-up been, leading into CPL 2025?
Last year it was a bit of a rush. We jumped out of a flight and started playing GSL. So I felt like this year we should get together and have a camp and see how we can improve as a team. All of us, [including] guys coming from overseas, worked very hard and looked to improve on a few things and it paid off for us.
I hope we can carry this form into the CPL, where we also have a couple of youngsters who are not part of the GSL with us. But we picked them for the CPL, and they were there for the training camp, and I'm sure they've had a good experience with the senior players before they get to play the CPL. All in all, it was a good effort from the franchise to get everyone together and build this team for the GSL and CPL.
In 2023, Warriors won their first CPL title under your leadership, and they came close to defending it successfully last season. How would you describe yourself as a captain?
Yeah, look, I've only been given one opportunity in my life as a captain. I just feel like I don't have to prove anything to anyone about my captaincy or skills. I use my experience during captaincy, and I know how to respect my team-mates. I think that's the most important thing in a team environment.
When you're happy for each other, play for each other and respect the team culture [success follows]. I'd rather be a player, but whether I play as a captain or player, I want everyone in the team to be happy and respected. That's what I try to do in this team, and hopefully [as long as] I have this responsibility, I want to share my experience with the players and make sure the youngsters, if they want to learn something, I can try and help them through our senior players.
Like we have some really good local players in our squad. Romario Shepherd, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul have been with the franchise for a long time, and to have them around, I'm sure it's a great learning experience for the youngsters. And like I said, if there's any spinners, even batters or bowlers with whom I can share my experience, I want to help them. I feel that's my job as a captain.
Over the years you have been mentoring spinners in leagues around the world. Is that something you enjoy?
Yeah, I think so. I don't do it for the camera. I just like to share my knowledge. I think not many shared their knowledge with me when I was younger, and that was a bit of a sad part. But if you want to be a professional cricketer and you want to achieve your dreams, then you have to work hard and keep learning and that's what my belief is.
I don't want youngsters to go through [what I did]. I want them to know what a slider, googly and flipper is. I'd rather want them to know it at the age of 15. Then they can serve their country or franchise in a better way than I did because I came to international cricket very late and showed my skills late in my career. I'm still trying to improve.
So from my point of view, wherever I go, I just want to share my knowledge and pass it on to the youngsters. I do like to talk about legspin bowling and see how the other spinners think about the game and how my thinking is. So it's always nice to talk about the game and share my knowledge. When I do that, I feel good deep in my heart.
You were a pioneer as a wristspinner in T20 cricket, bowling flat and quick and getting your googlies to zip. How do you think your bowling has changed as T20 has evolved?
You always want to keep learning. It doesn't matter how good you are; you always learn about the game every single day, and that's what the game has taught me throughout my career. Spinners play a big role in modern T20 cricket these days and you need to keep improving your skills.
Apart from legspinners, even left-arm spinners and offspinners have high skill levels these days. You have to work hard to be successful in the international arena because you know the batsmen are waiting for any [mistake]. If you see a slow ball [flighted] in the air, they want to hit, and the batsmen have got so many shots these days. So, as a spinner, I always want to keep improving.
The googly and the flipper have brought you a lot of wickets. Have you explored any new variations?
Yeah, there are a few, but you'll only get to see it on TV. I'm not the kind of guy who would talk about it in interviews and put it [the thought] in people's head (laughs). But yes, I'm still working on a couple of things and hopefully I can be able to bowl those balls in the future.
Amazon Warriors have almost every variety of spin in their attack. What do you make of the spin depth?
It's a blessing for Guyana that we have so many spinners when we come up against left-right hand [batter pairs]. [Gudakesh] Motie is very good, and our local core is very good. We've also got Moeen [Ali].
Motie has become a world-class spinner. Having these spinners helps. You see different batsmen coming with different plans and you can just throw the ball to any of these spinners who can challenge any batsman. Trying to get wickets as quick as we can is our plan, so we try to keep putting pressure on the opposition and make sure we demolish their batting plans - whatever they come up with.
You touched upon Moeen, another senior figure in the side. You also played with him at the SA20. What does he bring to Amazon Warriors?
Moeen is another great spinner and batter, who brings a lot of experience. His record speaks for itself. To have someone like him in the team is only going to benefit you. He also shares his experience with youngsters and other team-mates. He's really committed and we're lucky to have him in our squad. We're hoping he will have a good time again in Guyana.
Does having a spin-friendly home pitch empower you to be more attacking as the lead spinner?
Look, the spinners we have, they have performed all over the world. If the ball turns for us, it's also turning for the opposition. It just means we're using the facility better than the others. So I don't like it when people say, "Oh, Guyana turns" and stuff like that.
Yes, it turns, but for both teams, and we need to use our variations. So we try and upgrade our skills. That's what we do here in Guyana. Myself, Motie and Moeen - all of us have picked up wickets on some of the flattest decks in the world. The most important thing for us is the combination of the team and we try to break partnerships and batting plans with that combination. So far we've been successful and hopefully we can carry this form into the CPL.
The CPL is known for its funky celebrations. Your sprint is perhaps the OG one, but what's the story behind doing Ronaldo's "Siuuu" and Victor Gyökeres' celebrations recently?
I have to because my son [who is travelling with Tahir], he asked me to do it (laughs). The celebrations are purely for him. He just loves football. I actually don't know the guy [Gyökeres'] who does this celebration, but I know he's a footballer. But look, it's nice, I want to put a smile on my son's face and hopefully a smile on the faces of other people as well, if they like it.
You've been there and done that in international cricket and every T20 league around the world. At 46, how do you remain so passionate about the game?
I'm the kind of guy who got [success] very late. And when you have a dream to be on the stage where I'm now, I think I just don't feel like letting it go. I want to live the dream [as long as] I keep playing. If I'm playing, I want to give whatever I have to my team, and that obviously comes through passion. If you don't have passion for anything, you won't be successful in life.
At the SA20 and even in the GSL, you were throwing yourself around in the field and there was a spectacular grab in the eliminator at the 2024 SA20. How proud are you of such fielding efforts?
I have to do extra work on my fielding and thanks to all the practice sessions with our coaches, the energy and the focus they gave… they gave me a lot of confidence. I take a lot of pride in my fielding, and I feel like if I can take one or two catches, I can change the game. That gives me bigger joy, but I think some people might have been more shocked than appreciative of my catches (laughs). But no, generally a lot of people still appreciate such catches.
What are your ambitions heading into CPL 2025?
Yeah, the team and the combination looks really good. It's all about how we start the competition and that's the most important thing. Going into the competition, the first few games are important and the GSL [success] will help a lot. We've been playing a good brand of cricket in the GSL and I believe that will set the standard for us in the CPL.
We just need to stick together and before the tournament starts, we will have a camp for a few days. Things have been looking good so far. The only thing we can do is work hard and give it back to our fans in Guyana.