HAMZA TAHIR is getting used to emerging from his comfort zone. Waiting under the floodlights last month for a ball that seemed to have been struck so high the Dubai night sky that it never seemed to be coming down, the Scotland spinner admits he would rather have been anywhere else.
Tahir, though, took an exceptional catch to defeat Oman, one of four victories in a Scotland clean sweep in their most recent round of World League 2 fixtures. That catch was the undoubted highlight of that tour but the Paisley left-hander also excelled with the ball, proving again his worth to the squad.
He admits to a frustration at featuring only once at last year’s T20 World Cup but has seized upon his opportunity at the start of this year to try to become a more regular presence in the side. The absence of Mark Watt for the forthcoming series in Texas against the hosts USA and UAE ought to see Tahir bowl more overs but also places an onus on the 26 year-old to become the de facto leader of the spinners on the tour. That doesn’t come easily to the quietly-spoken Tahir but he is again determined to challenge his capabilities.
“It’s our first time playing in America so we don’t know what the wickets or the grounds are going to be like,” he concedes. “But they’re a country on the rise when it comes to cricket.
“They’ve had a lot of investment into the sport and you can see there’s an ambition there to become a major nation within the next five to 10 years. And they’ll get there eventually with the money behind them and good facilities.
“But we feel like we’re going over there in good shape to compete and do well. There’s no Watty for this one so there’s maybe a bit more expectation on me. We have different roles usually but maybe I’ll need to bowl more through the middle to try to control the game instead of being used in the powerplay and trying to take wickets.
“I’ll maybe need to have a bit more of a leadership role as well, taking charge of the spinners, as Watty is quite good at that. He talks a lot and is good at leading people. I’m probably one of the quieter ones in the squad so it will be a different challenge for me but it’s one I’m looking to embrace.”
That recent trip to the Middle East has done wonders for Tahir’s confidence, especially that catch, even if he was secretly hoping the ball wouldn’t arrive anywhere near him with the game on the line.
“My game is in good shape and I feel comfortable with where I am,” he admits. “I had hoped to play more in the World Cup as I just got the one game against Pakistan. But those are the big games you want to play in. There’s another World Cup later in the year and I’m working towards trying to play more of a part in that one.
“The series last month went well for me and the catch was obviously the big moment. I was just thinking, ‘the game’s on the line here’ but it went so high I couldn’t really see the ball at one point. But thankfully I kept my eye on it as it fell and it stuck in my hands.
“I was hoping it wasn’t going to come to me! You’re hoping it’s a wicketkeeper’s catch when it goes that high. But it turned out okay in the end. The adrenaline was going through me for days after that.”
Tahir has another nerve-jangling moment ahead of him: his wedding. The practising Muslim will fly home early from the USA to marry partner Ruksar in two ceremonies in Glasgow and East Kilbride.
“I’m relaxed at the minute but I reckon the nerves will kick in when I’m on the flight back home,” he admits. “We’ve got about 300 guests coming but thankfully I don’t have to do any speeches. I’m going away so I’m letting others organise most of it.”
Tahir is the cousin of former Scotland player Majid Haq who, along with Qasim Sheikh, has helped to bring about an independent review into claims of institutional racism within the sport.
The panel is expected to present its findings in July but Tahir hopes that, whatever emerges, it will help deliver a landscape that makes kids from all backgrounds feel as welcome as he was when he first joined hometown club, Ferguslie.
“It’s good that people are getting the chance to tell their stories and give their experiences and hopefully we’ll see some action out the back of that,” he adds. “Maj and Qasim have done a great job in pushing this on the back of what happened with Azeem Rafiq with Yorkshire.
“We want to see Asian, black, any minorities feel included and that’s the main goal of this. We don’t want people to feel awkward or out of place. I started at Ferguslie which is a diverse club. We used to have barbecues with Halal meat and all cultures felt welcomed. And a lot of people can learn from that.”
