Zak is back. And he did what he does best — swings the ball both ways, hits the right length from the word go, sends down pin-point yorkers and guides other bowlers.
Returning to cricket after a year of lay-off following a back injury, Zaheer Khan was quick to make an impact on the match with two wickets in his first two overs. He didn’t look fully fit and wasn’t at his best, that he frankly admitted too, but there was control in his bowling.
“Definitely, it was tough out there in the middle. But, as I started taking wickets, I felt good about my game,” Zaheer said after the match.
“I enjoyed the pressure situation where batsmen were trying to exert pressure on you and you got the better of them. This is not the best performance by me, but happy to be back among wickets. I hope things will pick up gradually from here. I am happy with my first outing after a year,” he added.
Zaheer had a tough one year where he had to be content with bowling in the nets. Outside of it, he was dismissed by critics saying that his career is as good as over. That may be true but the left-arm seamer from Mumbai isn’t yet ready to call it quits.
“It’s never over for me till the time I say it’s over. I will continue to play till the time I feel like I am giving my 100 per cent. It’s all about focusing and listening to your inner voice. Critics would write about you because it’s their job, you can’t stop them. My job is to give my best,” Zaheer said.