South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir was at a loss to explain his frenzied wicket-taking celebrations after helping bowl the Proteas to a nine-wicket win over Sri lanka. Man-of-the-match Tahir took four for 26 as in 8.2 overs.
That meant spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground were repeatedly treated to the sight of the much-travelled Pakistan-born bowler throwing his head back, screaming with joy before, pumping his arms, he set off on an uncoordinated run across the outfield. “It’s just something really — it’s just in me, I think. I don’t practice for that, I’m sure,” said Tahir.
“I played a club game in Stoke (in central England) and I took a very good catch, and I think I ran out of the ground, so they had to tell me which way is back to the ground. I was on the road, I didn’t know where I was. It’s a true story.”
The 35-year-old added: “It’s just because I want to enjoy everything I do for this team. This is a dream, you know. Because there are a million people who do not have the opportunity that I have to play for this team. It is just an absolute honour, and I think every wicket I take is just for South Africa, for me, and it’s just given me such joy, and I think if I express it — like I said, I don’t know why it come out, I don’t know. I have no answer for this.”