He had the swing and the reverse swing. He had cut and the seam. He had a bouncer and also the yorker. Zaheer Khan with the whole repertoire of balls had arrived on stage in 2001 ICC Knockout Tournament played in Nairobi. The nation swooned with delight. We felt we have found our Wasim Akram- a bowler we enviously watched and always wondered why we could not produce one.

If Zaheer was good-looking, his action was even better looking. He would jump elegantly with abandon at the time of delivery. He put a hold on our obsession with batsmen. The kids in the parks, grounds or the gullies could be seen copying him. Zaheer had a cathartic effect on us as we always longed for a genuine fast bowler like one of the too many in Pakistan.

His presence emboldened the team. Ganguly, the captain had a noticeable swagger in his walk now. Zaheer did what he knew best. He ran in fast with intent and produced wickets when the team needed.

He was the toast of the nation. The girls were nuts about him. It was only a matter of time, as we felt that any Bollywood actress would have the prize catch in handsome Zaheer Khan. But nothing of that sort happened initially. The good-natured Zaheer remained without any beautiful starlet. No dalliance. No affair.

The southpaw’s journey continued. He was uprooting the timber, inducing the nick, and trapping batsmen plumb without knowing the injury was waiting to challenge, interrupt and mar his career.

It was in Brisbane in December 2003. India was playing against Australia. He had scalped 5 out of 7 top order Aussies in the first innings. In the second innings, he was expected to repeat the feat but alas, an injury hit him in the opening spells, ruling him out of the match. He returned in the third match but injured himself once again necessitating a return to homeland midway.

His injury kept him out of the team that toured Pakistan in 2004 and won. It was frustrating to sit out. Things were not changing. He was uncertain. Also, there was no smiling of lady luck on him as he did not have one.

Although he got a call up for the tour of Pakistan in 2005, he was not in the same avatar. Injury dogged him and he faltered as a bowler. He was dropped after the tour and heartbreakingly BCCI downgraded him from B-grade to C-grade contract.

When it was felt as if Zaheer was a fading star nearing a disappearance on the Indian cricket horizon, he took a decision that dramatically changed the course of his bowling career. He signed for Worcestershire, an English county club in 2005 and the rest is history.

Following a super successful county stint, he was drafted into the team to tour South Africa. His brilliance with the ball continued in English summer in 2007 picking 18 wickets in three test matches that enabled India to win a test series away in England after 21 years.

This was his heyday. This was also the time he had bowled over a maiden from the Bollywood. It was Isha Sharwani (Kisna and Luck by Chance fame), who was seeing Zaheer Khan. Media speculated about their marriage and they averted by saying marriage was not on the cards.

By now, Zaheer Khan was a more complete bowler. He had rediscovered himself. He has changed from a tear away speedster to a more controlled and craftier bowler. Bowling medium speed with short run-up, less pronounced jump and with a slightly open swing of the arm his action was not as elegant as before but it enabled him to bowl more controllably troubling and foxing batsmen more often. His round the wicket approach was another effective value addition.

His armory was enriched with slower ones, sharp in-cutters, and a variety of slow bouncers but most important was his reverse swings. Manoj Prabhakar had shown the hint of the reverse swing towards his fag-end but it was Zaheer Khan, who excelled in it. Whenever he hid the ball behind his fingers, the ball really reversed.

Never forget how he bamboozled left-handers. How he made Sangakara and Graeme Smith his bunnies. His 43% percent victims were left-handers, a second-best record after Graeme Peter Swann of England.

The second coming of Zaheer was indeed prolific but fitness nagged him all through. Many a time he could be seen bending his knees, stretching his legs or clutching his thigh muscle in the middle of his spells. His injuries were pulling him back but he was steadfast to defy it all along.

In the background, his break up and patch up story with Isha Sharwani was constantly going on in media. Isha was to build a film career and Zaheer was busy on cricketing tours. Something was not working between them. However, they were trying.

Zaheer Khan’s new flourish was recognized as he was chosen as Wisden cricketer of the year in 2008. He was perceived as the bowling captain, strategizing the attack and mentoring the new crop of pacers. His high point in his career was achieved when he enabled his team to win the world cup in 20011. His exceptional bowling that fetched him 21 wickets in the tournament was perhaps the redemption for the one vital failure in 2003 world cup final in which he had leaked 67 runs in just seven wicket-less overs.

However, just after the high point, Zaheer Khan limped off the Lords Cricket Ground with a serious hamstring injury in July 20011. Without his service, India lost to England 4-0. The start of his end has already begun.

After that, he never bounced back in real sense. His subsequent comebacks to the team were lacklustre as his fitness had declined drastically latest among the list of injuries was his shoulder injury. This proved to be the final nail in the coffin. Zaheer was dropped again after the New Zealand series in 20014.

37 years old, Zaheer Khan’s retirement on 15 Oct 2015 was no surprise as it was expected, but what was little awkward that he retired unmarried after a chequered but a blockbuster career spanning 14 years.

After 2011 world cup victory, media was abuzz with reports that Zaheer Khan and Isha Sharwani have worked out on their off-and-on relationship and ready to exchange wedding vows. Some media reports even suggested they had secretly married.

Nevertheless, the speculations were put to rest when Isha Sharwani confirmed she was not marrying Zaheer Khan and they would continue to remain good friends. She kept the reason private but the grapevine found another story; Zaheer Khan was dating model cum VJ Ramona Arena.

Fodder for this story was that both Zaheer and Ramona were spotted holding each other’s hands in a shopping mall. Come on! It was in 2012 and how come there is no lead to the story even after three years?

Like his fitness, as it seems, the lady luck is also elusive for this dashing star of Indian cricket.

Long live Zaheer, but with a wife!!

Tanwirul Hasan