Zaheer Khan retires from International Cricket

India’s seamer Zaheer Khan announced his reirement from cricket

India’s ever time great left arm seamer Zaheer khan has announced his retirement from International Cricket on Thursday after serving India for more than 14 years but says he will continue to play in the domestic matches and the domestic T20 game i.e. IPL.

The long-time injuries forced him to took the decision to quit from the international cricket because he says he is not fit enough to play at this stage and also the demands of the modern game are not suitable for him.

“As I was training for the upcoming season, it dawned on me that my shoulder may not last the rigours of bowling nearly 18 overs a day – that’s when I knew it was time,” he said.

“With immediate effect, I bid adieu to my career in international cricket. I look forward to signing off my last season in domestic cricket at the conclusion of Indian Premier League season nine.”

The 37 year old pacer, who has played 92 test matches, more than 200 ODIs and 17 T20s International holds the record of fourth highest wicket taker bowler for India in both the formats of game. He has taken 311 wickets with an average of 32.94  in Test  and 282 wickets at an average of 29.43  in One Day International.

“The toughest call in a cricketing career is when one has to walk away from the game itself. You almost will yourself and want to push that few, extra miles but then the body, after nearly two decades, decides not to respond,” Zaheer said in the statement.

Zaheer, who played the first of his 92 tests against Bangladesh in 2000, has been hampered by injuries in recent years.

Zaheer was also the part of the Indian World Cup team in 2011 where he played a major role by taking 21 wickets, highest in the tournament along with Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

“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 a top ODI side was very fulfilling,” he said.

” ‘Zak is bak’ is perhaps a headline that may come my way again as I have every intention of giving back to this game and our wonderful country which gave this kid from Shrirampur the opportunity to chase and live his dream,” he said.

On the other hand BCCI paid tribute to Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan, describing him as an outstanding role model who served Indian cricket with remarkable passion and commitment.

BCCI President, Shashank Manohar said, “The BCCI appreciates Zaheer Khan’s outstanding service to Indian Cricket. He served Indian cricket with remarkable passion and commitment.

“Being a fast bowler in the Indian sub-continent is challenging but he led the bowling attack with distinction and contributed significantly to the success of Indian cricket .I wish him all the best for the future.”

Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *