Imran Tahir Quotes

Dotting teams up and bowling maidens back to back cannot be underestimated in Australian conditions because it gives you control of the game.

Fast bowling is an art, like spin bowling.

For a spinner growing up in England, it is challenging to become an off-spinner. The line and length needs to be altered on each of the four days of county cricket or five days of Test matches. The pitches in England don't have a set pattern. It changes with each day, and accordingly, the length varies.

Leg spinners can change the game.

In Twenty20s, you have to bowl a lot fuller, especially at the death, and you've got to be mindful of what you're doing. But it's still cricket.

I feel, as a captain, that when you face a batsman who plays spin well you feel as if you are a fielder short.

Well, I've always prefered playing spin off the back foot because, to my mind, it takes short leg and silly point out of the equation.

Cricket is not rocket science. Bowlers often get wickets through perseverance, accuracy and being patient rather than trying to blast opposition teams out.

According to the situation, your role changes in one-day cricket, especially in a phase like the Powerplay. If I bowl four spells, four times I will be playing a different role. If I come in the first Powerplay, and say the opposition are 70 for no loss after 10 overs, I will be looking to take a wicket.

I am a big fan of the five-bowler strategy.

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.

The start of the English county season - from April to mid-May when it's cold - is the same as South Africa because it seams and swings. After that, the ball starts spinning nicely, and that's when I get my wickets.

T20 cricket is all about using variations, and timing has to be perfect.

When you are bowling with a new ball, there are only two fielders outside the circle. With the old ball, batsmen don't care how many guys are outside the circle.

Bowling in sub-continental conditions is not easy for a fast bowler. You have to be consistent and persistent to succeed, especially when you are bowling to the likes of Sangakkara, Mahela, Samaraweera, and Dilshan.

As a bowler, you want to go and bowl in helpful conditions in South Africa, England, and Australia. But it is also important to bowl in the right areas, and they differ from bowler to bowler, depending on conditions and the opposition.

If someone wants to try to hit a spinner over mid-on, with the ball turning away from the blade, there is a chance of taking a wicket.

In T20, I think it's really valuable to have a bowler who can bring the ball back into the right hander at pace.

If you go for wickets all the time, then you will go for runs as well because you will have to flight the ball and invite the batsmen to hit you.

It is always challenging bowling abroad - you don't get much spin, bounce. You do get bounce, but you don't get sideways spin. It is always drifting kind of spin you get.

In fact, as a spin bowler, you have to work on the batsman over after over.

If you are playing on a turning wicket, toss plays an important role. The team that wins the toss gets an opportunity to play on the fresh wicket. You should always prepare the wicket as per team's strength. But a rank turner might backfire.

The era of playing aggressive cricket and to have the mid-on up is gone. You now try to read the mindset of a batsman.

White ball cricket can be taxing on bowlers and can be a distraction for a youngster, too.

As a skipper, when you try to manipulate the field, you need to see the strengths of the fast bowlers.