Today, cricket fans all around the globe woke up to the news that Zaheer Khan would be declaring his retirement from worldwide cricket with quick impact. While it didn't come as a noteworthy stun to the vast majority of us – since Zaheer hasn't played universal cricket for 18 months – it was as yet a hit to the gut.From the mid 2000s, Zaheer Khan was a necessary piece of the Indian cricket group. With his swing noticeable all around and his pinpoint yorkers, Zaheer has vexed most major batsmen on each surface conceivable. Notwithstanding when his place was undermined by more youthful and fitter bowlers, he always kept his chin up and came back stronger.
Let's take a look at 12 Interesting and unknown facts about India’s best ever left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan:
1. Early life
Zaheer was born in Srirampur, a residential community 40 kms from Shirdi, to a working class couple. His dad was a picture taker while mother was an instructor. He did his underlying tutoring at the Hind Seva Mandal's New Marathi Primary School and later at the KJ Somaiyya Secondary School. Post tutoring, he got admission to the Mechanical Engineering degree course. In any case, on his mentor Sudhir Naik's recommendation, he surrendered designing and focussed on cricket, even as he was great at scholastics.
2. Cricket calling
Zaheer was a tremendous ability. Awed by his aptitudes, his dad took him to Mumbai when he was 17. A true and restrained Zaheer played each competition that occurred at National Cricket Club for the initial two seasons. A seven-wicket pull in a last against Shivaji Park Gymkhana shot him to popularity in Mumbai's cricket circles and soon he got into the Under-19 sides of Mumbai and West Zone in 1998-99. It was trailed by a stretch at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, where Dennis Lillee, the mentor, forecasted that he would bowl for India.
3. First-Class debut
Zaheer made his First-Class debut in the 1999-2000 domestic season for Baroda, as he couldn't make it to the Mumbai squad. In his debut season, he was the third best quick bowler, and best left-arm seamer, behind Ashish Zaidi and Sadagoppan Mahesh. Playing in eight matches, Zaheer grabbed 35 wickets at a normal of 29.25, with best figures of 5-43 in an innings.
4. Baroda’s Ranji triumph
Zaheer made rapid strides playing for Baroda. In the Ranji Trophy last 2000-01 against Railways, Zaheer's eight wickets, including a moment innings fifer, helped Baroda win by a restricted edge of 21 runs. He was declared as the Man of the Match for his execution. His universal presentation, nonetheless, had occurred at this point. Post 2006, he began speaking to Mumbai in domestic cricket.
5. International debut
His domestic heroics soon observed him playing for India. He was picked up to play the ICC Knock-Out Trophy in Nairobi in 2000 and had a quick effect. He took three wickets on his presentation against Kenya and in just his second diversion — which was the quarter-last against the then world champs Australia — Zaheer rejected Adam Gilchrist and Captain Steve Waugh and helped India script a well known win. By chance, it was additionally Zaheer's 22nd birthday. He had reported his entry in style. His Test make a big appearance came later in the year against Bangladesh, where he picked up three wickets in the match.
6. ICC Cricket World Cup 2003
Zaheer, along with Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra, was instrumental in India's fantasy rush to the last of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. Nonetheless, an apprehensive Zaheer gave an awful begin to the last, surrendering 15 keeps running in the first over against Australia. India never recuperated and lost with a colossal edge. With 18 wickets from 11 matches, he completed the competition as the fourth most noteworthy wicket-taker at an amazing normal of 20.77 runs for each wicket.
7. India’s pace spearhead
Post Srinath's retirement, Zaheer turned into India's pace lead and drove the rocking the bowling alley assault at whatever point he played. In 2005, the development of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel and Rudra Pratap Singh, add to it visit wounds, implied Zaheer was in and out of the side. Things turned out to be more awful when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) downgraded Zaheer from a B-review to a C-review contract toward the finish of the year.
8. Zaheer the batsman
Zaheer was a decent batsman in the early part of his career. In just his twelfth ODI, he broadly smacked Henry Olonga for four back to back sixes on the last four bundles of the innings. In a Test against Bangladesh in 2004, he scored 75 batting at No. 11, the then record most elevated Test score by a batsman at that position, which has along these lines been broken by West Indies' Tino Best and Australia's Ashton Agar. In similar innings, he was included in the record tenth-wicket organization alongside Sachin Tendulkar, which delivered 133 runs. This record is yet to be broken.
9. Zak-attack
Zaheer is fondly called as Zak by his team-mates. His career-changing time with the English County side Worcestershire earned him the nick-name of “Zippy Zakky”.
10. Inspiration
Zaheer is a gigantic Tendulkar fan and takes motivation from the batting icon. Outside the sport, Tennis great Roger Federer is someone who he derives inspiration from.
11. Great adapter
Zaheer has been one cricketer who has always excelled in diverse conditions. He's constantly savored playing in testing circumstances and has immediately acclimatized to the outside conditions. An extraordinary connector, Zaheer is similarly great with SG, Duke and Kookaburra balls and shows fabulous control over them effortlessly.
12. Wisden Cricketer of the Year
Zaheer was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2008, along with Ian Bell, Ryan Sidebottom, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ottis Gibson.
