I just like challenge. I had a lot of them in my life, and then when it comes to that, I think I can be ready for anything, really.
— Imran Tahir
I love to talk about bowling, and whoever comes for hel,p I'm always there. Even in IPL, PSL, I try to help the youngsters as much as I can.
I wouldn't want to overstay in the team for too long. I want to leave with respect.
I always come on the ground with a smile on the face, but inside, I'm always ready to fight and try to give as much as I can.
It is a big challenge as a spinner to play modern day cricket, where you have to have five players in the circle.
I have learnt that patience is important: patience when you bowl and also in how you handle life.
I lost my parents, which is the toughest thing to overcome.
I am the kind of person who will give his best every single time. I cannot underperform unless I'm playing with kids. Actually, I'd probably still get angry if they try to hit me!
People think of me as well-travelled, but I had not been out of Pakistan until I was picked in the Under-19 squad in 1997. The flight went from Lahore to Karachi and then from Karachi to South Africa. It was my first time on a plane and my first trip overseas.
Legspinners are exciting characters.
One needs to have variations. You won't survive if you don't have one - especially playing in India, as they are good players of spin.
I've played all over the world. I've played in England, South Africa, Pakistan.
I am enjoying the experience of working with Mishra. For me, he is a world-class spinner.
Leg spinners can change the game.
I don't take anything for granted.
My wife and kid always support me.
Playing for CSK, one of the best franchises in the world, I've to show people how much I love and respect this team.
Spinners have a main role, whether in the IPL or world cricket. But it's hard to be a legspinner: you have to be accurate.
I always try to help spinners as much as I can wherever I go and play, anywhere in the world.
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities.
I always love challenges, and when I bowl, I always look to get wickets.
When someone attacks you, there is always an opportunity, and that's what I look for.
My biggest ambition, ever since I was a boy in Pakistan, has been to play cricket at the highest level. If I can do so for South Africa, I'll give everything.
I don't want to just keep playing for the sake of playing. The day I realise I'm not good enough, I'll go. I want to play as long as I can - not just to make up the numbers but to play with utmost passion.
In 2004 in England, there was one catch that was very special to me. I was bowling in a league match, and the batsman hit the ball over my head. I had to run back to between mid-off and mid-on to take the catch, and I did.
The googly and the slider are my favourite type of deliveries, and I love it when batsmen try to cut or sweep me and, while attempting those strokes, get lbw or clean bowled.
For me, what is important is, as a legspinner, you need determination, especially in modern-day cricket. You need to feel that you can change a game.
If I want to hide myself from my limitations, then I don't want to play this game.
Losses are always hard to swallow, and every sportsperson has the same feeling.
In professional cricket, everybody wants to win.
I think I feel good as a South African player that people say that we always get into semifinal and lose... this is one of the biggest achievements to get into semifinal. Not many teams do that. For me, it's a real achievement.
I think I have the ability and can play a role in T20 cricket for South Africa.
Playing with MSD, getting his advice and learning a lot from him, and I am really, really happy to be part of CSK.
It's always beneficial taking advice from Dhoni.
I have always been an attacking bowler, but I am trying my best to learn every day.
I've been working really hard on my fitness.
My job, if someone picks me, is to come and perform. That's what we do for a living.
Thanks to technology, you can sit and see the opposition's mistakes and try to learn from them.
I believe one should work hard to get what you want.
South Africa is now my country.
One of my dreams was to win the World Cup.
My wife is a beautician, but the first time I did something to my hair was not through her.
Abdul Qadir was my main role model. I just wanted to be like him because, for me, he was only guy who no one could read. He was that good. His passion, his love for legspin, was unique. He would create new things all the time: flippers, sliders, three to four kinds of googlies, legspinners, topspinners.
According to me, a leg-spinner is such a character who, on his day, can win the match for you if he is bowling well and has the support of the captain and the coach.
You have to just adjust to the conditions quickly because there is a big difference in 50-over and 20-over cricket, and if you back yourself, you will do well.
I have bowled with another leg-spinner in county cricket - Shahid Afridi. But he is a totally different bowler than Mishra. I have a lot of respect for Mishra.
The off spinner's job is to contain; for me, leg spinners need to have a bigger heart than anyone else because it is easy to blame them.
Whenever I am playing, I try to contribute to my team.
I have always wanted to play in the World Cup.
I don't want to retire - I love the game and have a lot of respect and passion for the game.
