What Zaheer Khan needs to do to make a comeback to the Indian team
For once, I’m conjuring a piece based on emotional logic. Yes, you read it correctly – logic based on simple emotion. Each time the national team loses in the longest format of the game, another shard of glass and ice pierces my already wounded heart. Inept performances with the bat, followed by an average showing with the ball, nearly made me weep. My network of friends, family and acquaintances would decry the obsession I have for this game.
I thought about the only person who could bring the spark back into our lacklustre display; someone who has had experience playing overseas and winning Test matches for his country. A bowler par excellence, a mentor for the younger lot, and one of the fiercest competitors in our side, we need him still.
Zaheer Khan – famous for his duels with left-handers – is on the wrong side of 30. At that stage, an international sportsman’s career is usually considered to be on the wane. The body doesn’t recover from exertions or injuries quickly, and the flighty temptress called form deserts them in their time of need. While the youth-first policy works wonders in the limited-overs format, the presence of a veteran in the longer format will, at the very least, help to motivate the younger lot, who have shown little spine so far.
However emotional I may get, I need to control my mental faculties for at least some time in order to highlight the key areas where Zaheer needs to work on if he wants to return to the highest level soon.
Fitness is the name of the game
The wisdom of the left-arm pacer’s selection in the Test team might be questionable given his struggles for fitness. On the 2011 tour of England, he was one of the major casualties. Without a spearhead, the attack just looked blunt – easy meat and drink for the rival line-up. A nearly similar story unfolded in the recently concluded series too, along with humiliations in South Africa and New Zealand.
Zaheer must have felt the pain of the latest defeat all the way from India. It might have motivated him to re-dedicate himself to getting back in top-flight physical condition. At 36, time is running out for the Shrirampur lad – if he does get back in national reckoning, it has to be in the Test arena. For that, he has to improve his stamina and do all that is necessary to get his body back into shape.
A lean and mean left-arm pacer brings in both variety, enthusiasm, focus, and discipline back into a raggedy squad bereft of ideas. Experience is what I will choose to return the Indian team to its former glory in the white flannel aspect of the game, and for that, Khan needs to return hungrier and in full form.
Play four-day cricket
I will certainly recommend that the wily Mumbai Indians seamer join an English county for a short spell. His decision to play in the Champions League T20 tournament later this month is not a very wise move. The reasons are simple: first, his return would be a hurried one, and second, bowling four overs is no thorough test of match fitness. He has been selected in the list of probables for the Mumbai Ranji squad, and though the pitches on offer are dustbowls, a full workout in four-day cricket is a better option.
A stint at the MRF Pace Academy under the legendary Glenn McGrath will also be beneficial for ZaK. Because the Australian has been where the Indian is right now, he is in the best position to offer a fair bit of advice and tips. Only then will we see the veteran seamer bowl full tilt against the newbies of different international teams
Mental Conditioning
Zaheer has been out of the side for an unusually long period of time. In his absence, the younger crop of pace bowlers have stepped up to the challenges of limited-overs cricket quite admirably. It’s not going to be easy for the elder statesman to regain his spot.
The mental make-up is a powerful component of a fast bowler’s arsenal. The 35-year-old loves his game, and is not the kind of person who will wilt in the face of a tough challenge. But with slow reflexes owing to age, his mindset may have taken a hit. No self-respecting cricketer who has represented the country at the highest level will enjoy cooling his heels while others establish themselves.
It is thus important for him to regain his confidence by focusing on what is more important – club or country. It is for him to decide how long he can serve the nation in Test matches (I honestly believe he is past his prime in the limited-overs scene). Even more crucial will be the fact that he needs to enjoy each match he plays in. Mental strength is the key to his return, and a confident old warhorse is a far better choice than one who has simply given up.
Summary
I want Zaheer to return. He is still needed in the grander scheme of things. The transition period for bowlers in Test cricket is one of long suffering, and his return will be a morale booster for everyone. Bring back the fire, and watch the Indians conquer the world’s best once again.