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Zaheer Khan
Echoing the views of India captain Rohit Sharma, former pacer Zaheer Khan on Thursday raised serious concerns over the 'Impact Player' rule in the IPL, saying it produces "half-baked all-rounders". The 'Impact Player' rule, introduced in the 2023 season, allows all IPL teams to substitute a player -- batter or bowler -- during the innings. Experts have argued that the concept negates the role of an all-rounder. Someone like Shivam Dube has only been used as a power-hitter by his franchise Chennai Super Kings. Dube, also medium pacer, is in contention for the seam bowling all-rounder's option in the India set-up for the T20 World Cup but he has hardly got an opportunity to showcase his talent with the ball. "I completely agree it's debatable, little concern for sure. But we need to find a way on how to deal with it. In Impact Player rule you will find half all-rounders but not not a complete one," Zaheer said in an online interaction facilitated by JioCinema. Zaheer, who was one of
Cricket remains integral but "not everything" for MS Dhoni, says his former India teammate Zaheer Khan of the man with a penchant for catching the world off-guard and an eagerness to explore various avenues. At 42, the two-time World Cup winning captain Dhoni is gearing up to lead Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming IPL. The charismatic former India skipper had quit international cricket four years back. "MS Dhoni understood a long time ago that he is passionate about cricket and it is an integral part of his life. But it couldn't be everything," Zaheer said in an episode dedicated to the Dhoni on JioCinema. Besides his World Cup triumphs and India's march to the world number one position in Tests, Dhoni has led CSK to a joint-record five IPL titles, having taken on the top leadership role from the league's inaugural edition in 2008. Zaheer said, "When you're playing, switching off (from the game) is very important. Cricket is not everything. Every cricketer has to face this ...
James Anderson, England's greatest fast bowler with an unparalleled longevity and nearly 1000 international wickets, says he has learned a few elements of pace bowling, including reverse swing, from Indian great Zaheer Khan. At 41, Anderson continues to lead the England attack and is two short of becoming the first fast bowler in the history of the sport to breach the 700-wicket mark. Spin legends Muttiah Muralitharan and the late Shane Warne are the only bowlers with 700 plus wickets in Test cricket. "For me, Zaheer Khan was someone I used to watch a lot to try and learn from. How he used the reverse swing, how he covered the ball when he ran into bowl, that's something I tried to sort of develop on the back of playing against him quite a few times here," Anderson told JioCinema. Zaheer, one of India's finest seamers, played his last Test in 2014 when Anderson was at the top of his game. Among the current lot of Indian pacers, Anderson is most impressed by Jasprit Bumrah's abilit
Former India pacer Zaheer Khan feels the Rajkot pitch will be similar to the ones in Hyderabad and Vizag, bringing reverse swing into play once again. Jasprit Bumrah put up a reverse swing masterclass in Vizag for a match haul of nine wickets as India levelled the series. "I hope the pitch is on similar lines to the one in Hyderabad and Vizag," Zaheer told JioCinema. "On that kind of a surface, we should be able to see a good contest between bat and ball for the first two days and spin comes into play on the third day. "You'll see some reverse swing as well. And on the fourth and fifth days, you'll have the spinners dominating. "If that is the pattern, it will make for a nice viewing experience for all the spectators and the fans will enjoy." Former England batter Owais Shah could not agree more. "The big match-up will be between Jasprit Bumrah and England's middle-order. That's because Bumrah will be able to generate reverse swing in Rajkot," Owais said. "When he bowls with th