St. Lucia, May 3: Zaheer Khan was a tearaway fast bowler when he made his international debut, raring to hit the deck to extract pace and bounce.
Ten years on, the Baroda boy has emerged a 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 youngsters in the national team, and it 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.
“In T20, the first six overs are very crucial. The pressure is always on the batsmen to hit right from the start. That is the reason captains are eager to try out new things.
“They introduce spinners so that they can apply brakes on the momentum. The game is evolving, new strategies are in perspective and the understanding of the game is getting better every day,” said Zaheer.
Zaheer noted that it was important to a have proper game plan in Twenty20 format.
“It is imperative to have a clear game plan in Twenty20. The game is so dynamic that there is not much time to think. We need to have a proper plan before going into match.”