5 underrated bowlers in cricket at the moment

#3 Imran Tahir

Tahir has been impressive in ODIs and T20s for the Proteas

37-year old Tahir hasn’t really been in the thick of things in Test cricket, lately, having played his last game in December 2015. But he is South Africa’s best bowler in ODI cricket. Tahir is the highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket in the last 3 years. He has 95 wickets in 56 ODIs at 24.86 at a miserly average of 4.67 – that despite being a leg-spinner.

To put things into perspective, third-placed Boult on the same list has just 75 wickets in 35 games. South Africa’s next highest wicket-taker during the same period is Morne Morkel with 57 wickets in 35 ODIs. Such is the gap.

In the last 12 months, Tahir has been equally impressive with 29 wickets in 15 ODIs at an average of 20.31, the lowest amongst the top 20 wicket-takers, at an economy rate of 4.49.

Tahir is equally valuable in T20Is, picking up 24 wickets in 14 games, with an economy of just 6.58 and average of 14.54. That is way ahead of the young, pace-bowling rookie sensation Kagiso Rabada, who has 21 wickets in 13 T20Is but an economy of 8.1.