South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir has not given up on playing for the Proteas again, saying he is taking steps to recover after his disastrous performance in Australia and will do everything he can to get back on the team sheet.

Tahir put in a superb performance for the Highveld Lions on the weekend, taking 12 wickets in the four-day match against the Dolphins to lead his side to a 252-run victory. This was in stark contrast to his performance Down Under, where he went for 180/0 in the first innings in Adelaide.

That innings saw him overstep five times in the first innings and twice in the second, where he conceded 80 runs in 14 overs on top of his other disaster. It was no shock that he was dropped for the remainder of the tour and sent home, but he has made the most of his return to the domestic scene.

The Pakistan-born spinner said: "There is no chance that I'll give up (on getting back in the Proteas side). Every game is very special for me and is taken very seriously.

"I'm still very hungry. I don't want to sit at home and dwell too much on one bad match. I want to give 100 per cent and try and get another opportunity.

"I think I just have to keep on doing things like I've done in this game. I'm not looking that far ahead too much. My aim is just to do well in first-class cricket again.

"This is the step where I need to prove myself once more before I want to go back there (to international level).

"If I keep taking five-fors and keep knocking on the door, then why not (believe)? Whether they (the selectors) pick me or not is up to them. It's their job. My job is to do well and that's what I'll be concentrating on.

"It's not the end of the world to have had one bad game. Hopefully I'll get another chance."

He added: "I've been told I need to do that by the coaches and selectors. I am not one to shy away and say I wasn't wrong. I admit I didn't bowl well. I went for more than six or seven to the over in a test match, which wasn't great.

"Why it happened, I'm not sure. I'd never played in Australia before, it was a very flat wicket, but still I didn't bowl well and for that I need to go back to first-class level.

"I understand what happened, it is my fault."