Published: Oct 16, 2015, 04:56 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 16, 2015, 05:19 PM (IST)
Mumbai: Ishant Sharma was playing at Kotla in his Ranji game when the news of Zaheer Khan announcing his retirement from International Cricket broke. On hearing this Ishant Sharma considers Zaheer his idol and also calls Zaheer Khan ‘Zak Pa ‘got emotional and went through a flash flood of memories that he and Zaheer shared. He fondly recalled how many time teaching of Zak Pa helped him in his career and excel, crediting Zak pa for making the bowler he is today. In his very first tour to England in 2007 Ishant observed what Zak pa did before the game and after the game. Ishant also stated how Zak pa advice has always been with him, recalling the lines “Fast bowling is 70 per cent fitness and 30 per cent skills”, said to him by Zak pa early in his career.
About his good performance in the 2008 Border-Gavaskar series Ishant said that “At that time, I could only reverse the ball in. Zak pa taught me how to reverse the ball away from the batsman – simple things like how your hand should be and where the seam should face. It was a very small thing but it made a huge difference.” Ishant was fortunate to receive technical inputs from Zak pa who never failed in reminding him that one should not be obsessed with technicalities rather also focus on the tactics. Ishant was quoted saying “ Zak pa used to tell me ‘When you’re bowling, just bowl. Just focus on where and how you want the ball to land, don’t think about where your foot is landing and hand is going. The only time you need to get technical about your action is when it is causing you any kind of injury. Otherwise, you just work on your tactics’.” Ishant was fond of the way Zak pa used to bowl in batsman friendly wickets and still not give an inch to them. “Zak pa always used to say ‘If you don’t bowl how you will take wickets?’ “Ishant said on BCCI.TV ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan: Umesh Yadav can fill my shoes
Ishant mentioned that Zak pa was always up for a healthy competition within the team and it only egged him and everyone else to perform better. No better example for this would be the 2009 tour of New Zealand, before the third Test. Ishant recalled this and stated “Zak pa announced to the team that he was going to take a five-for in the match. I said, ‘Zak pa, agar aap sab ko out karoge to main kya karunga (if you get all the wickets, there will be none for me)’. He replied, ‘Tu is match mein thoda thanda le. Main out karunga (you take it easy in this match. I will take the wickets)’.”
Zaheer picked up 5-65 in 18 overs bowling 2 maidens as well in the process and is Ishants favourite Zaheer performance.
Ishant Sharma found it highly impossible to adjust to the fact that Zaheer Khan is not in the playing with him, as Zak pa was always the go to man for Ishant and the team in time of crisis. This is well elaborated in the 2010 Test in Centurion against South Africa. Ishant tells “Zak pa had injured his hamstring before the Test and wasn’t playing. There was a phase when nothing was happening for us. Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis were piling on the runs and we didn’t know how to get them out.At that time I really missed Zak pa’s presence. I felt, ‘If he were here, he would have told us what to do. He would have made something happen’.” ALSO READ: Sourav Ganguly: Zaheer Khan took retirement call on right time
Concluding himself Ishant Sharma mentioned that “No one knows how big an influence Zak pa has been in my life. He groomed me as a bowler. He took a young, raw fast bowler under his wing and made me a mature bowler I am today. I owe so much to Zak pa, and I cannot thank him enough for all that he has done for me.”
“I will not play Test cricket with him again. But he has served the country brilliantly for so many years and perhaps, he felt it was now time to do something else. I wish him all the very best in whatever he decides to do in his life from here on.”
