Published: Apr 06, 2016, 11:02 AM (IST)
Edited: Apr 06, 2016, 03:39 PM (IST)
New Delhi: Former pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who will captain Delhi Daredevils in the upcoming ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, on Tuesday said that he has no regrets about retiring from the international cricket. His former new-ball partner Ashish Nehra, 37, made a stunning international comeback after a lengthy gap of four years and was even named in the ICC Team of the World Twenty20. However, Zaheer insisted that performance of his former teammate doesn’t make him regret about his decision. ALSO READ: IPL should not be used as yardstick to select bowlers for Tests and ODIs, feels Zaheer Khan
“I am very happy with my decision. I am happy to see Ashish Nehra do so well. He has motivated me quite a lot to get back to training. But I was very clear about walking away from the international cricket and just happy with this form of cricket (IPL) where you can give it back to the game while guiding youngsters,” said Zaheer, who has taken a staggering 311 and 282 wickets in Test and ODI formats respectively.
Commenting on his new responsibility in the forthcoming IPL season, Zaheer said he would pass on his rich cricketing experience to aspiring youngsters and insisted that he was eager to get back to the cricket field. “It’s a great responsibility and a big challenge too. It is something I would look forward to as you know our squad is full of youngsters. So it’s my opportunity to give it back to the game.
“I hardly played cricket since last IPL so I’m itching to get back on the cricket field with me wearing the Delhi Daredevils jersey and also looking forward to work with young talent who have been performing consistently well at the domestic level,” the 37-year-old added.
