Zaheer: Ishant, Nehra can fill my void

by S M August 11, 2009

"There is a healthy competition in the bowling unit and I'm sure whoever plays, will take the responsibility and do well in his role. The most important thing is India wins the tournament," Zaheer Khan said.

"Ishant has been doing well for quite some time, while Nehra has made a great comeback," he said.

"I'm really happy for Nehra. He faced a lot of injuries and as a fellow bowler, I know what he has gone through before making a comeback after four years.

"I've known him for long and he has been a great friend. He has struggled a lot and put in a huge amount of effort and I'm happy for him," Zaheer said.

"Injuries are part and parcel of our life. You cannot run away from it. You can do all the right things to avoid or delay injuries but once it happens, you have to be patient and try to control only the controllables. You cannot rush things", Zaheer said.

"I don't see it as a setback. Rather, I see it as an opportunity to work on my fitness. I want to return to the field at the earliest but at the same time, I don't want to let my team down. I want to return when I can give my 110 per cent. I want to return stronger and fitter," he explained.

Zaheer said, "I can tell you that I kept the Board informed all along."

"As I see these young, talented kids coming from small towns with a dream, it reminds me of my younger days when I used to play cricket in Baroda," he said.