Tahir looking forward to finish career before ‘Guyanese crowd’ South African spinner eyes CPL 2027 at age 48

GEORGETOWN, Guyana:

Imran Tahir may be nearing the half-century mark, but the leg-spinner shows no signs of slowing down.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors captain has confirmed his desire to return for the 2027 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket season, when he will be 48 years old.

Tahir’s motivation extends beyond statistics; it is about finishing his storied career on his own terms, in the country he now calls “home”.

“I’m very keen to come back and play because I feel this is my home. I get a lot of love when I come here,” Tahir said at a press conference in Georgetown following the conclusion of CPL 2026. “I’m looking to finish my career in front of the Guyanese crowd.”

Joint highest wicket-taker

Tahir’s performances in the 2026 campaign proved that age is merely a number. The veteran spinner finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 16 scalps. He shared the honour with Hunain Shah, Alzarri Joseph, and Matthew Forde.

His leadership guided the Amazon Warriors to Qualifier 2, where their campaign ended at the hands of eventual runners-up and debutants, the Jamaica Kingsmen.

The 2026 season was one of the milestones for Tahir. He became the first overseas player to feature in 100 CPL games and surpassed Sunil Narine to claim the top spot on the tournament’s all-time wicket-taking charts.

He now sits on 146 wickets from 102 matches, all played for the Amazon Warriors since 2018.

Earlier in the month, Tahir rolled back the years with a career-best five-wicket haul against the St Lucia Kings, recording figures of five for 17.

Oldest to claim five-for

At 47, it made him the oldest player ever to take a five-for in T20 cricket.

“I get motivated to come here and play my cricket, trying to get fit, eat well,” Tahir said of his longevity. “It is not easy because if someone is eating ice cream and I’m in front of them, it’s very difficult to control yourself. But that’s what you have to do if you want to play for another year and another year.”

Beyond the CPL, Tahir also led the franchise to their maiden Global Super League title earlier this year, further cementing his legacy with the Warriors since taking over the captaincy in 2023.

Under his leadership, the team won the CPL title in 2023 and reached the finals in 2024 and 2025.

Final decision

Despite his desire to return, Tahir acknowledged that the final decision rests with the franchise’s management.

“There will be questions about me, and I’m the kind of guy that likes challenges and stuff,” he said. “For me, my part is to play my role not as a captain, but as a player for the team. I think I tried my best, so obviously I leave it with the management. I leave it with the team owner and the president; they have to decide where my future will be.”