 "Zak bids international cricket adieu")
Zaheer Khan on Thursday announced his retirement from international cricket. “I bid adieu to my career in international cricket. I look forward to signing off with IPL 9,” wrote Khan on the microblogging site Twitter.
Khan has played 17 T20 internationals, 92 test matches and 200 one-day internationals. The Arjuna Award winner was one of the pivotal players in India’s ODI World Cup winning squad of 2011; he bagged 21 wickets in just nine games.
Khan has played 17 T20 internationals, 92 test matches and 200 one-day internationals. The Arjuna Award winner was one of the pivotal players in India’s ODI World Cup winning squad of 2011; he bagged 21 wickets in just nine games.
The left-arm fast bowler also wrote a two-page goodbye note titled ‘A new beginning...’. Khan wrote in the note that he knew it was time for him to “walk away from the game” when he realised, while training for the upcoming season, that his shoulder might not be able to take the strain of bowling nearly 18 overs a day.
Khan described lifting the World Cup as part of team India as his “greatest cricketing moment”. He went on to recount how his father encouraged him by telling him that engineers were a dime a dozen and that he should pursue his passion of becoming a bowler.
Reacting to Khan’s announcement, Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar tweeted: “One of the coolest pace bowlers I know. He was a bowler who could ‘out-think’ the batsman most of the times. Always up for a challenge. I am sure he will do well as he begins a new chapter in his life. Wishing @ImZaheer all success in his retired life.”
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captain of the Indian national cricket team in the limited-overs format, tweeted, “Well done ZAK on a fantastic career. Without U it wd hve been very difficult to achieve what the ICT did. most clever fast bowler I know” [sic].
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“Wonderful to have played with you Zak @ImZaheer great bowler great skill! Best wishes for the future,” tweeted former captain Anil Kumble.
Khan concluded the note with the following line: “‘Zak is Back’ is perhaps the headline that may come my way again, as I have every intention of giving back to this game and our wonderful country which gave this kid from Shrirampur the opportunity to chase and live his dream!”