Former Pakistan-born South Africa spinner, Imran Tahir recently shared his struggling story with some budding cricketers.
Tahir is now a mentor for Bahawalpur Royals in Pakistan Junior League.
The leggie told them how his dream of representing Pakistan in international cricket remained unfulfilled even though he played at the domestic level for his home country.
But, Tahir never gave up hope and continued working towards achieving his dream of making a mark in international cricket.
He even mentioned that he used to do odd jobs when he was a struggling cricketer.
I have never lost courage in my life. I have done packing jobs. No one would call me to bowl. At trials, I was asked who had sent me. I have successfully played at every level in Pakistan, but the dream to represent the country didn’t come true.
Tahir also thanked South Africa for noticing his potential and allowing him to play cricket for their side.
In his speech, Tahir encouraged youngsters to never lose heart and to always follow their dreams.
I am thankful to South Africa for giving me the opportunity. I was finding a chance and benefitted from it when it was given to me.
Tahir made his debut for South Africa in ODIs in 2011 and then he was a constant fixture for his side in all three formats of the game.
He retired from ODIs after the 2019 ICC Men’s World Cup and is a regular member of many international leagues around the world.
Tahir has hinted at playing T20 cricket for South Africa.
Even in last year’s T20 World Cup, he was not selected by Cricket South Africa.
Across all formats, Tahir has bagged 293 wickets in international cricket and he continues to play T20I cricket.
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