Zaheer Khan is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the bowling history of Indian Cricket. But this cricketer has posssibly endured more struggle than any Indian Cricketer indeed.
And, Sudhir Naik, the maiden mentor of Zaheer back in 1996, reported helped Zaheer to build his attacking attitude and made him a go-getter sort of person with which he served India from 2000 till the glory of the 2011 World Cup, and a few years more.
Zaheer Khan, the 39-years-old Indian bowling marksman who retired in 2015, had once to stay with his father’s aunt in a tiny hospital room in South Mumbai for many months in the mid-90s to realize his cricketing ambitions.
His discomfort was so extensive that Zaheer didn’t even have any proper arrangements to sleep and would sleep on a bedsheet without a pillow.
Zaheer was staying with his father’s aunt. She worked at Saifee Hospital (Charni Road) and had a small room in the hospital. For the first seven to eight months, he did not have a proper place to sleep. He just slept with a chaddar no pillow.
The promise that the veteran coach had seen in the young Zaheer was in fact realized during his coaching sessions.
With the job at Mafatlal Industries, Zaheer could only afford his first cricket kit, a moment that the coach remembers as one where happiness shone from his face.
Naik also arranged proper sports shoes for him from the National CC’s funds.
As to how Zaheer bowled when he first came in for trials as a 17-year-old, Naik said-
He was completely raw. There was no line and length, but he had very good pace. After bowling for about 40 minutes, I stopped him, fearing he would injure a few batsmen. I then made him bowl in a net, where he had to just focus on hitting a single stump. He was really good and I decided to continue with him.
The once poor man who had seen such miseries in life has finished his career as the second highest wicket-taking seam bowler ever to have been produced in India, only behind Kapil Dev. His bowling attack has made India win several crucial matches and this man’s journey will always be an example to every cricket-aspirant out there!
(Image Credits: BCCI)
