Can Zaheer Khan follow Javagal Srinath's footsteps and make a successful comeback for the World Cup?

Can Zaheer Khan one final comeback to ODI cricket?

"I try to hit a batsman in the rib cage when I bowl a purposeful bouncer, and I want it to hurt so much that the batsman doesn't want to face me anymore," wrote Aussie great Dennis Lillee in his autobiography Back to the Mark in 1974.

Expresso, anyone?

Teams around the world have always had a couple of quick bowlers (or at least one) who could single-handedly turn a limited-overs game around for them, or scare the bejesus out of the opposition batsmen. These men could, on their day, slit the wrists of the greatest of batting lineups (speaking metaphorically).

These men could hurl the little leather ball seem like a terrifying hand grenade. And when you think of destructive one-man-armies, the pictures of Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Andy Roberts, Richard Hadlee, Michael Holding, Ian Botham, Imran Khan, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald, Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock, Waqar Younis, Glenn McGrath, Chaminda Vaas, Shoaib Akhtar, Shane Bond, Brett Lee, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Johnson and Dale Steyn start to recreate the Danza Macabra (Dance of Death) in your head.

And these were men who wreaked havoc for quite some time, in their respective careers. Almost all of them were the spearheads of their nations’ bowling attacks, at different points of time. Lucky were the captains who had the skills, the experience, the pace and the abilities of bowlers like these at their disposal. Picturing teams without their presence would be quite the nightmare for their respective skippers.

If you noticed, there were no Indian bowlers on that list.

ICC Cricket World Cup, 2015

It takes an astute leader to perfect his man-management skills and get his crew up and ready for the biggest challenges at work. With the shadow of the World Cup lurking around the corner, MS Dhoni, Ravi Shastri, Duncan Fletcher and the selectors would be racking their brains to put the 30 probable candidates on paper for the most coveted trophy in limited overs cricket.

Of course, picking the final 15 before the event would be a much easier job, owing to these 30 players’ performances in the season preceding the buildup to the World Cup.

Think Australia, think fast and bouncy pitches. Think fast, bouncy wickets, think quick bowlers. Think quick bowlers, frown. Well, that’s been the case with India for a really long time now. We’ve had some really promising talent who have represented India in the 50-over and 20-over World Cups over the past two decades – Venkatesh Prasad (he’s long gone), Ajit Agarkar (he’s retired), Ashish Nehra (he’s inconsistent), S Sreesanth (don’t make me open my foul mouth), RP Singh (he’s off the radar), Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel (they now bowl at Ravi Bopara’s pace).

Of course, India has had three outstanding performers who made their presence felt in multination tournaments on more than one occasion – Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan. These three names bring back memories of three World Cups that hold immense sentimental value in the hearts of all Indians – 1983, 2003 and 2011.

Following an unbelievable upset in the finals, 1983 was the first time Indian cricket catapulted itself to the top of the ladder, thus proving its mettle as a force to reckon with. The mustached-menace called Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj wasn’t just the spearhead of the bowling attack, but also a brave captain, who managed to bring the best out of his unit.

Javagal Srinath – Engineered to perform

Cut to 20 years later. Following 17 years of ups and downs after that victory, India’s reins were in Sourav Ganguly’s hands – the hands that were touted to pull the strings in the country’s favour. Ganguly always stressed on the importance of having ‘fast’ bowlers at his disposal. As the 2003 tournament approached, India, always known for its batting prowess, was found wanting. With inexperienced campaigners like Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan, it just didn’t seem right to go to South Africa understaffed.

Javagal Srinath, one of the mainstays of the bowling attack, had ended his Test career in 2002, and was keen on hanging his boots in the limited overs format too. He had been a consistent performer for the country, but a series of injuries and surgeries had pushed him to rethink his longevity in the game. However, Ganguly knew the importance of having a veteran in his ranks, since he would need a cool head to deal with formidable sides like Australia, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka and the host nation.

So, while Srinath was in the United Kingdom, enjoying his frivolous stints with Leicestershire and Durham, the Indian skipper rang him up and said: “I need you here.” Taken aback, Srinath retorted, “Need me where? I’m in England!”

It was this conversation that resulted in Dada convincing the pacer to give up thoughts of retiring before the Cup ended. Srinath obliged, sensing the evident element of concern in his captain’s voice.

January 2003 saw India taking on the Kiwis, and Srinath came back to make a strong statement, picking up 18 wickets in 7 games, just weeks before the World Cup. And while the fresh arms of Zaheer and Nehra ripped through many-a-lineup, Javagal Srinath led them from the front, providing crucial breakthroughs and at times, tearing through the top order single-handedly. Since it was his last tournament, he gave it his all – he bowled with pace, vigor and intent, thus making him the leading Indian bowler in terms of wickets, and helped India to the finals.

Being the only Indian bowler to participate in four World Cups (1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003), Srinath performed exceptionally well for the country, accounting for 44 victims at an average of 27.81 in his 283.2 overs, which included 21 maidens. He was never too expensive either, except for the nightmare of a final. Barring that last encounter, Srinath’s career as prolific pacer, who was once amongst the quickest in the business (before he injured his shoulder), ended on a high.

Can Zaheer Khan make a comeback?

It just makes you think – if a guy who wanted to quit international cricket could contribute the way he did, imagine what someone who still had the hunger for wickets would do!

The man in question is Zaheer Khan a.k.a. Zak a.k.a. Zippy. The fifth highest wicket taker in World Cups, he is the joint highest wicket taker for India, having 44 scalps to his name at an enviable average of 20.22.

He burst onto the international circuit in 2000 and played his first World Cup in 2003, where he bowled with raw pace and a lot of aggression. Zaheer blossomed under Ganguly’s captaincy, and the more he played, the better he became. While the pace curve has gradually gone down the graph, the aggression is still alive.

India’s 2007 World Cup campaign was nothing to write home about, but Zak was very much a part of that squad. He had a fruitful international season the same year, coming back from injury and reestablishing himself as the leader of the attack. His career has been plagued by multiple injuries; else he would be right up there with the best in the business, not just in terms of skills, but statistics, too. Anyway, let’s not cry over spilled guineas.

Moving on, Zaheer has played a massive role in winning some of the biggest tournaments as a part of MS Dhoni’s Men in Blue, the most unforgettable one being the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. In fact, the current Indian skipper once hailed the left arm pacer as the ‘Sachin of Indian bowling’ – a compliment any bowler from any corner of the world would die to hear.

With his vast experience of playing 200 ODIs (over 65% of which were away games and 23 of which were spread over three World Cups) and 282 wickets to his credit, he is someone who is relentless, highly skilled and an extremely intelligent cricketer. Often compared to Pakistani great Wasim Akram, the 36-year-old definitely has the mental toughness that the Sultan of Swing possessed, but his fitness has proven to be his biggest foe over the past decade.

A slot up for grabs

Not just limiting himself to his individual performances, Zak has also been instrumental in mentoring the younger bowlers to great effect in the past (ask Ishant Sharma, RP Singh, Munaf and Praveen Kumar for more details), thus giving Dhoni some breathing space to focus on other vital aspects of the game.

Having picked up a thing or two from his first captain, Khan’s craving for more wickets is evident from the way he trains. His never-say-die approach has brought him back onto the domestic circuit, where he wants to give himself another shot at squeezing back into the Indian side by performing in the 2014-15 domestic season.

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami are certain to be in the playing XI, it is the third seamer’s spot that’s up for grabs. Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Dhawal Kulkarni (all right arm bowlers) would be hoping to make the cut, but it wouldn’t hurt to consider Zaheer as a fitting prospect for the tour Down Under. He’s confident, hungry, still bowls in the mid-130s, has exceptional control over swing (both ways), has all the variations, and knows where and how to bowl (depending on other influencing factors like the batsmen, match situation, pitch, overhead conditions, etc.). Observing him over a period of the next three months would be the best thing to do, before making a call.

Arguably the best fast bowler India has ever produced, Zaheer deserves one last shot at the big bunny, especially since the country’s current attack could do with the variety that comes with a left arm quick.