The bowler, who announced his retirement on Thursday, said cutting short his run-up during his stint with English county team Worcestershire benefitted him a lot as he became a better bowler with more control. Zaheer made his India debut in 2000 and played his last game for India in 2014 at Wellington against New Zealand.
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‘With immediate effect, I bid adieu to my career in global cricket. “I look forward to signing off my last season in domestic cricket at the conclusion of the Indian Premier League season 9”, he said.
The 37-year-old’s tally of 21 wickets in the 2011 World Cup was the joint highest in the campaign and was a crucial factor in India’s triumph.
“Cricket has been my only life over the past two decades and is the only thing I know well”.
He played in 92 Tests and 200 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), picking up 282 and 311 wickets, respectively.
In the final it was Zaheer who had given India the flawless start.
Born in Shrirampur, a town fewer than 300kms to the east of Mumbai, Khan began his first-class cricket with Baroda before moving to play for Mumbai in 2006. He is hoping to feature in one more season of the IPL. “But after talking to Srinivasan and Manohar, I feel there is a realisation that the matter is important and a decision must be taken soon, since just two months are left”, remarked the PCB chief during the news conference which he addressed after arriving home from the UAE.
Khan also played in 17 Twenty20 internationals and represented Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi teams in various seasons of the IPL.
“If the BCCI offers another option, I will favour the bilateral series”, he said, adding that the PCB Board of Governors had to take the final decision in this regard.
He inspired India to their World Cup win four years ago, a feat he counts as his greatest cricketing moment.
It might seem far-fetched and hyperbolic of Mahendra Singh Dhoni who reportedly once said Zaheer was like the Sachin Tendulkar of bowling. Ironically, it was England that also witnessed a low-point in Zaheer’s career as he hobbled away after bowling 13.3 overs in the first Test of the 2011 series at Lord’s. Indian cricket was in the doldrums – the match-fixing scandal storm had swept everything away, leaving in its wake only distrust and cynicism.
“One of the coolest pace bowlers I have known…”
Murali Kartik, who is good friends with Vikram Solanki and played with him, called me.
Shahryar, who was addressing the media on his return from the global Cricket Council meeting, said Shashank assured him that with his recent appointment, cricketing relations between PCB and the BCCI will move towards betterment.
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Today, I have many many individuals to thank – from physios, trainers, support staff, colleagues, captains, coaches, selectors, senior officials, administrators in various Associations, groundsmen, Team management as also team owners.
