I still remember my school days when I saw a quick left arm bowling yorkers and disturbing the furniture on the other end of the 22 yard strip. Loads of crests and troughs in his career but ultimately he has reached a position where experts and cricket fans believe he is the spear head of Indian bowling attack in the recent past. And above all there isn't a bowler on the bench who can replace him. Zaheer Khan certainly does feel a discomfort of sitting out of the Indian team due to an injury.
India enjoyed the top position in test cricket since December 2009 but the dream streak ended miserably when the team suffered a white wash in a test series against England earlier this year. The cricketer who must have experienced the biggest pain would be the current most effective Indian bowler Zaheer Khan. Days and nights would have been frustrating for this bowler as he saw his team getting pulverised from the sidelines in England and what he could do was just sit and watch the debacle.
Let us see what he has to say in an interview published in a leading newspaper in India.
Do you hope that you will make into the playing eleven for the series in Australia?
I am not certain about the date of my return. I reckon I need a good amount of time to recover completely. It is a good signal for me that I have started bowling in the nets.
How hard was it for you to see India losing so badly in England?
As a sportsperson I always dread an injury and hence the series started on a very bad note for me. I felt very bad when team lost so miserably and I wasn't there to fulfill my responsibility.
What do you feel about the new young bowlers Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav?
They have kicked off the proceedings pretty well. They need more grooming, proper guidance so that they perform consistently well at the highest level.
Why is it observed in India that when a fast bowler makes an entry to the highest level his bowling speed reduces?
Probably it is something related to the subcontinent conditions and also a pressure to play when you are at the highest level. I can't provide a certain reason for you question but this could also be a reason that slowly they start concentrating more on the line and length rather than the speed.
These are some of the questions I could make a note of from the interview. As this great fast bowler from India flourishes more in his career, we would see more and more such interviews. Let us hope this quickie recovers soon and makes an entry into the team soon. His presence would be a bonus for team India down under when they face a daunting task of playing against the mighty Australians.
