Published: Oct 15, 2015, 01:01 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 15, 2015, 02:14 PM (IST)
The 37-year-old left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan on Thursday announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. Zaheer made his last international appearance for India more than one-and-a-half years ago, on the tour of New Zealand in the second Test at Wellington. Zaheer played 92 Tests for India, and retires as the fourth highest wicket-taker for India in the longest format of cricket with 311 scalps to his name. Zaheer played 194 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for India, and also remains at the fourth spot in the list of most wicket-takers with 269 scalps. Grappling with issues related to fitness and form in the past few years, Zaheer did everything he could to force his way back into the national side more than once. He would play in the next season of Indian Premier League (IPL) 9, which would be Zaheer’s final act in competitive cricket. ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan to announce retirement
Zaheer played 200 ODIs in all, and he claimed 282 wickets. In the 194 ODIs for India, he has 269 wickets to his name, which puts him fourth in the list behind Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar. His final ODI was against Sri Lanka, at Pallekele on August 4, 2012. Zaheer played 6 ODIs for Asia XI as well, in which he claimed 13 wickets at a strike rate of 21.6. ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan retires from international cricket: Full text of retirement speech
In 17 T20Is that Zaheer played from 2006 to 2012, he claimed one four-wicket haul and ended up with 17 dismissals in the format. He last featured in an international T20 in the ICC World T20 2012, against South Africa, in which India won the contest by a margin on one run.
Zaheer was expected to make the announcement in a press conference in his hometown in Mumbai, but instead, he posted a two-page letter talking about his career as he called it quits. ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan retires: Twitter reactions
“The toughest call in a cricketing career is when one has to walk away from the game itself. You almost ‘will’ yourself and want to push that few, extra miles but then the body, after nearly two decades, decides not to respond. As I was training for the upcoming season, it dawned on me that my shoulder may not last the rigours of bowling nearly eighteen overs a day, and that’s when I knew it was time… With immediate effect, I bid adieu to my career in international cricket. I look forward to signing off my last season in domestic cricket at the conclusion of Indian Premier League season 9,” Zaheer said.
I bid adieu to my career in international cricket. I look forward to signing off with IPL 9. #ZaksNewBeginning pic.twitter.com/FLpaokbLy1
— zaheer khan (@ImZaheer) October 15, 2015
Former Indian cricketers such as VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble were the first to pay tribute to Zaheer Khan’s career. Kumble, Laxman and Zaheer were a part of the Indian cricket team which rose to become the world No. 1 later on.
