St Lucia: When he made his international debut, he was a tearaway fast bowler, raring to hit the deck to extract pace and bounce.
Ten years on, Zaheer Khan has emerged successful, matured, intelligent seamer who uses the conditions to the hilt to get maximum results.
Along the way, he has shouldered the responsibility of spearheading the Indian attack and mentoring young fast bowlers. But Zaheer is enjoying every moment of his responsibility.
“I am at a stage in my career where more responsibilities keep me motivated. It is very important for one to enjoy the pressure of spearheading the attack and playing at the highest level,” said Zaheer.
He is happy to mentor young fast bowlers in the national team, reflected in Ishant Sharma's success in Australia (2007).
“My role as senior pacer has not changed. It is always good to have youngsters coming along and share some of your experience and at the same time learn a few things from them.
“Learning never stops,” said the 31-year-old, who has 488 international wickets under his belt, including 11 in the Twenty20 format.
Quick learner
Zaheer has always been a quick learner, though former India coach John Wright might have loathed his diffidence when he had just about broken into the national team in 2000.
“In the Twenty20 format the first six overs are very crucial where the batsmen are looking to score off every ball. The pressure is always on the batters to hit the ball right from the start. That is the reason captains are eager to try out new things.” — PTI
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