India are on a great run in the shortest format in the build up to the World T20 in India credits has to be given to the bowlers and especially to Ashish Nehra, whose comeback has been most talked about in cricketing circles.
Former India paceman Zaheer Khan felt Nehra, who made a great comeback to the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side after years, is doing a brilliant job.
“I should take some tips from Nehra on how to survive for so long. It’s not easy to comeback at this stage in the career and he’s doing well which is amazing. He has motivated me to train. I got hope to train for IPL,” Zaheer said during a promotional here on Thursday.
Zaheer and his 2011 World Cup teammate Virender Sehwag have been roped in as guests for a celebrity chat show “What The Duck” by cricket comedian Vikram Sathaye.
Sathaye is known as ‘Gayan Baba’ of the Indian team.
“There’s no particular reason for me being called ‘Gyan Baba’. I think it just somehow started like that. Maybe I can’t stop myself but going up to bowlers and always giving them advice that’s how it came into existence I think,” Zaheer added with a grin.
The chat was getting serious and Sathaye unearthed an interesting fact that makes Zaheer the only cricketer got retired before marriage.
“You’re the only one who could give attention to this kind of things,” Zaheer said.
“Fast bowling in the sub-continent is very tough. I knew I could focus on only one thing at a time. It was either bowling or getting married, having kids and running after them. So I thought I better run after the wicket and bowl,” he added.
Sehwag, who is also known for his humour then decided to pick on his former teammate. “Getting married is not tough. So many girls were following you and you didn’t pick one?” Sehwag asked.
“I was too focussed on the game,” Zaheer answered.
The former Indian bowling spearhead today is also a reputed businessman being the owner of a chain of restaurants and gyms. When enquired on what could be the reason for starting both diametrically opposite ventures, Zaheer saw the lighter side to it.
“It’s a great strategy. You first give them food, make sure it’s rich, they become nice and plump and then you tell them, now you have to work out so get in the gym,” Zaheer said, adding that retirement from the game was the reason he could smile so much.