By Utkarsh Rathour

Dubai [UAE], October 8 (ANI): Former South African spinner Imran Tahir praised the team's talented young players and recent performances, including their World Test Championship triumph last year and ODI success. 

Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL), where he represents South Africa Champions, Tahir said he believes the Proteas can develop into a strong 50-over side over the next couple of years ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

"South Africa have always been blessed with talented players and a strong pool of young talent. The way they have performed away from home, including winning the World Test Championship and the ODI series, shows that they are playing very good cricket. I hope that over the next year or two, they will continue to develop into a very strong team, especially in the 50-over format, with the upcoming World Cup in mind,' Tahir told ANI. 

Tahir lauded the team's talented young core for successfully filling the void left by past stars. He believes the players have the ability to become a formidable lineup, with more international experience over the next one to two years set to further strengthen the side.

"Not just talented, I would say they are very talented. The players who represented South Africa in the past were big names, so replacing them was always going to be a challenge. But the current players have done a very good job and have filled those gaps well. They certainly have the talent; what they need now is a little more experience because this is still a relatively young group. Most of them have played around 50 to 70 ODIs or 20 to 30 T20Is, so they are gaining valuable exposure. As they play more cricket over the next year or two and gain experience, I believe this lineup will become a very strong one,' he added. 

The 2027 Cricket World Cup is scheduled to take place from October 2 to November 21, 2027, with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia jointly hosting the tournament.

Tahir also believes South Africa will have a strong advantage at the next ODI World Cup, with their successful domestic league SA20 and home conditions working in their favour. He also backed the Proteas to perform well based on their recent form.

"One special thing is that they have their own league, which has been very successful. On top of that, they will be playing the World Cup at home, in familiar conditions. So, considering the way the South African team has been performing, I believe they are in a very good position to do well in this World Cup,' he concluded. 

Speaking about the vision behind investing in the South Africa Champions and becoming part of the WCL, the team's owner Gaurav Tyagi said the primary objective was to bring South African cricket legends back onto the field while reconnecting them with fans across the world.

The South Africa Champions owner, Gaurav, said the WCL provides a unique platform to celebrate the legacy of former international cricketers and showcase the rich cricketing heritage of South Africa to a global audience.

"Our vision was to create something that celebrates the legends of South African cricket and gives fans an opportunity to see their favourite players back on the field. The WCL has created a fantastic platform for that, and we wanted the South Africa Champions to be a part of this journey,' Gaurav told ANI. (ANI)