India’s fast bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan says the two years under Australian coach Greg Chappell were one of the worst in his career when he felt unwanted in the team.
Zaheer said during the coaching tenure of the former Australian skipper, cricketers were scared of being dropped from the team.
“It was as if you’ve been framed. It was like ‘we don’t want you in the team. It’s not about performance, we don’t like your attitude, you’re stopping the growth of cricket in the Indian team’. I felt it personally because I was dropped straight after the Sri Lanka tour, even though I had not performed badly,” Zaheer was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Zaheer said that under Chappell it was like a war going on in the Indian team.
“I was fortunate enough to go to South Africa to represent the Asia XI (in the Afro-Asia Cup). I got nine wickets and I was recalled for the next series. In that phase it was always a struggle. When you’re fighting within the team, when you have a war to fight in your own camp, it is always difficult to win,” he said.
Zaheer, however, felt the only positive from Chappell’s tenure was the inclusion of youngsters in the team, but that too came at the cost of some senior players, who were performing.
“A youngster coming in is a good sign but not at the cost of a cricketer who is doing his bit,” he said.
Zaheer said that in contrast, Gary Kirsten’s three-year term with the Indian team was amazing. Under the South African, India became the No.1 Test side and also won the World Cup after 28 years.
“He has given everyone their space. He’s understood the Indian culture and how we do things. He’s taken that step of coming closer to us rather than dictating. He was our friend, not a coach,” said Zaheer, who played a crucial role in the World Cup final.
Asked about the 2003 final when he was hammered by the Australians, Zaheer said: “I was only a couple of years into international cricket; the World cup journey itself was something special. That time my thing was to bowl quick. I wanted to be aggressive. It was a World Cup final; there were a lot of emotions. As soon as the national anthem finished, there was this rush of young blood. I wanted to do really well, wanted to just blast the Australians apart.”
Zaheer said this time he had learnt to keep a check on his emotions.
“This World Cup I was aware of the fact that there will be a lot of emotions, I have to deal with it. I have to maintain my calm and focus on the process. I was telling myself just go there and bowl.”
