CALCUTTA, 9 March 2004 — Indian pace bowler Zaheer Khan yesterday said he was ready to boost an inexperienced bowling attack during their upcoming one-day series in Pakistan.
“I don’t want to say that I am leading the attack but there is definitely additional responsibility on me and I will try to carry out my job as best I can,” said the left-arm seamer.
“To play Pakistan in Pakistan will be very different from playing them elsewhere,” he said.
The 25-year-old is the most experienced bowler in the Indian team because of the absence of spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh and of seamer Ajit Agarkar, all ruled out because of injuries.
Kumble and Agarkar are, however, expected to make it for three Test matches to be held after a five-match one-day series starting in Karachi on March 13.
Ashish Nehra is the only other experienced bowler in the one-day side which also has fellow left-armer Irfan Pathan, seamer Laxmipathy Balaji and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik apart from the all-rounders.
Zaheer said he was confident of putting behind him his own injury after missing the last of four Tests as well as a tri-series in Australia because of a hamstring injury.
“There is extra pressure on me only because of my injury as I have missed a lot of cricket this year. But I am quite fit now and hope to do well in Pakistan,” he said on the second day of a three-day preparatory camp in Calcutta.
The Baroda bowler said he had picked some important tips from Australian pace great Dennis Lillee and Indian legend Kapil Dev which he hoped would prove useful on the strenuous 40-day tour.
“I have to put those tips to good use and make the most of the one-dayers to prepare for the Tests,” said Zaheer, who has taken 82 wickets in 28 Tests and 118 in 77 One-Day Internationals.
