During the course of their cricketing history, India have produced more world-class batsmen than bowlers. Spin bowling has always remained the strong area of Indian cricket team, especially at home. There have been very few who earned respect in fast bowling for India. Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Zaheer Khan are those few.
On October 15, Zaheer Khan announced his retirement from international cricket following persistent injuries during the last three to four years.
He said he would continue to play domestic cricket till the end of IPL season 9 in 2016.
He played for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 8, featuring in seven games in which he picked seven wickets.
The 37-year-old bowler last played an ODI more than three years ago, against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.
His last Test appearance came in February 2014, against New Zealand in Wellington. Since then, he has been facing fitness issues and he missed the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy due to a shoulder injury.
Regarding Zaheer’s career, his mentor Sudhir Naik said that Zaheer with a hurt shoulder cannot bowl at his best at international level consistently, so he has decided to call it a day.
Zaheer started his cricket journey as a kid from the small town of Shrirampur (Maharashtra), reached the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore in 1996 and the MRF Pace Academy.
He made his debut for India in 2000. He was a top performer in India’s 2011 World Cup victory, taking 21 wickets in the tournament.
"My greatest cricketing moment was lifting the World Cup as part of Team India and creating history. We played as a top team and being part of the journey of India as the top ODI side was very fulfilling," Zaheer said.
After the inclusion of bowlers such as Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami, Indian selectors found no space for Zaheer Khan in the national squad.
Zaheer played 92 Tests for India and picked 311 wickets at an average of 32.94. He is thus the fourth-highest wicket-taker for India, following Anil Kumble (619), Kapil Dev (434) and Harbhajan Singh (417).
He also played 200 ODIs in which he had 282 scalps. He also grabbed 17 wickets in 17 Twenty20 internationals.
At the age of 21, Zaheer Khan’s match-winning spell of 5-21 for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy final was the cause for the call for the Indian team. Zaheer Khan made his Test debut on November 10, 2000, against Bangladesh which was also Bangladesh’s first Test.
He took two wickets in the first innings and one in the second as India won the Test by nine wickets. His first match-winning performance abroad came in Kandy against Sri Lanka in August 2001, when he captured seven wickets to help India level the Test series.
His best Test bowling performance came against England at Trent Bridge in 2007, when he took 4-59 and 5-75, which helped India win their first series in England since 1986.
He was the highest wicket-taker in the Natwest series in England in July 2002.
In the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, Zaheer Khan finished with 18 wickets, fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers.
The period between 2007 and 2011 was Zaheer’s best phase in international cricket, in terms of wickets and impact.
He took his first ten-wicket haul against Bangladesh in Mirpur in January 2010.
In India’s Test wins, Zaheer took 149 wickets, many more than Kapil Dev (90) and Javagal Srinath (68).
Zaheer also received Wisden Cricketer of the Year award in 2008.
He had an aggressive run-up, a high jump and a solid action that ensured a speed of over 140kph in his career’s early days.
He can rightly be called India’s pacer of the 2000s.
After retirement, Zaheer will likely concentrate on food and hotel industry business.