Kapil worried about injury-prone Zaheer's longevity

Sep 07, 2011 |

Southampton

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Former Indian captain Kapil Dev does not foresee Zaheer Khan spearheading the team's attack for a very long time as he feels a fast bowler getting injured at the wrong side of age has to do something 'extraordinary to come back'.

"If a fast bowler starts getting injured at the wrong side of age, the recovery is very difficult. He would have to do something extraordinary to come back, otherwise he would play a few matches and get injured again," said Kapil who took 434 Test wickets from 131 Tests with his fast-medium swing bowling.

Zaheer has served India for 79 Tests and taken 273 wickets yet he hardly is able to go through a Test series without an injury, the latest instance being the one during the first Test at Lord's in July.

There are many who also see Sachin Tendulkar nearing the end of his one-day career -- he is sitting out of the ongoing one-day series because of a toe injury -- due to his advancing age and preference for Test cricket.

Kapil, though, believes Tendulkar's case is different to Zaheer. "With a batsman, it's different. Sachin can make a comeback. He has already done everything, there's nothing left. The one century (remaining) would come anyway."

"Sachin has to make up his mind what he wants to do. He knows his body and he alone can answer how good he feels. People like us who are sitting outside can't make a comment on it."

While on individuals, Kapil's concern also extended to Gautam Gambhir whom he regards as a brilliant batsman. Gambhir recently suffered a head injury during the Test series.

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