Sudhir Naik, the National Cricket Club coach of spearhead India fast
bowle,r Zaheer Khan, has advised the injured pacer to focus on the
longer formats of the game, making Test cricket his top priority.
Naik, the former India Test cricketer suggested Zaheer, given his injury problems that the prime strike bowler of India should set his priorities. He has also urged Zaheer Khan to avoid the shortest format of the game.
"I suggest he only concentrates on Test cricket, play very few ODIs and avoid T20s completely,” suggested the 66-year-old former India batsman.
Naik, who played for India in just three Tests and two One Day Internationals, reckoned Zaheer Khan and the other senior members of the World Cup winning India cricket team should not have featured in the fourth edition of the lucrative Indian Premier League, which followed a week after the April 2 World Cup final.
"He should have skipped the IPL this year, since he had put in all his effort in to the World Cup. In fact, the whole World Cup-winning team should have skipped the IPL," said the former India Test cricketer.
Naik said that Zaheer should set his priorities as Indian cricket needs him badly. He said that without Zak, the Indian bowling looked “toothless” in their recent 4-0 whitewash at the hands of England in England.
Naik said that the overdependence of Indian cricket team on the Maharashtra pacer is not a good sign for the country's cricket.
“When Zaheer's around he doesn't just bowl, but also guides the younger bowlers. And they clearly looked helpless in his absence,” said Naik, who is currently the curator of the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. “This is not a good sign for Indian cricket. Zaheer is not going to be there forever," he added further.
Zaheer Khan, who was rested for the West Indies tour in June, picked up a hamstring injury on the first day of the recently concluded four-match Test series against England, and was later ruled out of the whole tour with a recurring ankle injury and the hamstring strain. India went on to lose the four-match series 0-4, there first series whitewash in twelve years.
With no Zaheer Khan in the side, the World Champions are expected to struggle against England in the five-match One-Day series as well.
Naik, the former India Test cricketer suggested Zaheer, given his injury problems that the prime strike bowler of India should set his priorities. He has also urged Zaheer Khan to avoid the shortest format of the game.
"I suggest he only concentrates on Test cricket, play very few ODIs and avoid T20s completely,” suggested the 66-year-old former India batsman.
Naik, who played for India in just three Tests and two One Day Internationals, reckoned Zaheer Khan and the other senior members of the World Cup winning India cricket team should not have featured in the fourth edition of the lucrative Indian Premier League, which followed a week after the April 2 World Cup final.
"He should have skipped the IPL this year, since he had put in all his effort in to the World Cup. In fact, the whole World Cup-winning team should have skipped the IPL," said the former India Test cricketer.
Naik said that Zaheer should set his priorities as Indian cricket needs him badly. He said that without Zak, the Indian bowling looked “toothless” in their recent 4-0 whitewash at the hands of England in England.
Naik said that the overdependence of Indian cricket team on the Maharashtra pacer is not a good sign for the country's cricket.
“When Zaheer's around he doesn't just bowl, but also guides the younger bowlers. And they clearly looked helpless in his absence,” said Naik, who is currently the curator of the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. “This is not a good sign for Indian cricket. Zaheer is not going to be there forever," he added further.
Zaheer Khan, who was rested for the West Indies tour in June, picked up a hamstring injury on the first day of the recently concluded four-match Test series against England, and was later ruled out of the whole tour with a recurring ankle injury and the hamstring strain. India went on to lose the four-match series 0-4, there first series whitewash in twelve years.
With no Zaheer Khan in the side, the World Champions are expected to struggle against England in the five-match One-Day series as well.
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