Mumbai: India's left arm strike bowler Zaheer Khan, who is fast regaining full fitness, said playing in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) would be the perfect platform for his comeback bid to the Indian team.
"I am bowling five to seven overs on alternate days right now, which I am very happy with. Hopefully, by next week I will be bowling every day. So, by the start of the IPL Twenty20 tournament, I should be ready to play," Zaheer Khan has said in an interview to Mid-Day on Wednesday.
"I feel IPL should be very exciting and a perfect platform for my comeback bid as I will have to bowl just four overs, playing short games and then getting your workload up. In that way it is exciting," he added.
When asked for his impression of India’s new coach Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton, Zaheer said, he was looking forward to working with them as soon as he is fully fit.
"Whatever interaction I had with them recently in Chennai and Ahmedabad was very productive. I spoke with Paddy about the mental side of things when you go through an injury, for example, what are the mental things you should be careful about, how one should be motivating himself when he is down, has really come handy now," he said.
Stressing that the two Australian tours so far has been 'jinxed' for him personally, as he was injured on both occasions, the left arm spinner said, even though he was disappointed personally, he was happy and proud of his teammates' performances.
"Frankly I think Australia is jinxed for me. The same thing (injury) happened on the 2003-04 tour. I got five wickets in the first Test in Brisbane before picking up an injury and could not continue in the series. Both occasions have been disappointing but you have to take it in your strides," he said.
Commenting on being named among the Wisden’s five cricketers of the year (2007) along with Ian Bell (England), Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ottis Gibson (both West Indies) and Ryan Sidebottom (England), Zaheer said, he is happy to be in Wisden’s top five cricketers of the year, even though he is not a regular reader of the magazine.
"I am indeed happy to be on the list of one of Wisden’s cricketers of the year. It is always an honour to be on this list. Last year was a good one for me in England. It gives me immense satisfaction," he said.
The 29-year-old Mumbai cricketer said he does not read Wisden magazine regularly.
"I read it only some times, mostly when I am in England," said Zaheer, who was informed about the honour by an Wisden official on Monday.
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