Tahir: I've spent a year working on new ball bowling

London - With the talk in the build-up to South Africa's Cricket World Cup charge centred around a potentially destructive fast bowling unit, skipper Faf du Plessis' decision to give leg-spinner Imran Tahir the new ball against England last Thursday came as a massive surprise. 

It worked a treat, with Tahir striking with just his second ball of the day to remove Jonny Bairstow for a duck. 

It didn't matter in the end as England romped home to a commanding 104-run victory in the tournament opener, but it still came as a shock and England skipper Eoin Morgan admitted as much after the match. 

Tahir would go on to finish with figures of 2/61 from his 10 overs, but his success with the new ball gives the Proteas another option as the tournament progresses. 

"It was a plan which I had been working on for the last year or so, bowling internationally with the new ball," Tahir told media on Saturday ahead of what will be his 100th ODI for the Proteas when they take on Bangladesh at The Oval on Sunday.

"I think we knew that it was going to be pretty much a shock for everybody.

"It was a good challenge, a great challenge, bowling against two top players in world cricket who have been in form.

"I was just really pleased the way I came out and I got a wicket for the team and that was our plan, which worked."

With Dale Steyn officially ruled out, the Proteas will once again look to Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi to do damage with the new ball on Sunday; something they were unable to do against England. 

The Bangladesh batsmen are well-versed in the art of combatting spin bowling, so we are unlikely to see Tahir bowling ahead of the Proteas quicks this time around. 

That is not to say, however, that he will not be given the new ball again at some other stage in the tournament.

"Whenever I get an opportunity again like that, I won't be the guy who is going to say 'no' to my captain," said Tahir.

Play on Thursday starts at 11:30 (SA time).

@LloydBurnard is in England covering the 2019 Cricket World Cup for Sport24 ...