 "Zaheer Khan was in the support staff of Lucknow Super Giants at last IPL. X/BCCI")
Legendary Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan conducted a specialised red-ball camp for the high-performance monitoring group at the Centre of Excellence (CoE), triggering speculations over a potential role with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Taking to X, BCCI said that a group of emerging fast bowlers were given training in a special camp by Zaheer who is considered among the greatest Indian pacers.
“The BCCI CoE had the privilege of extending the wisdom of one of the best fast bowlers Mr. Zaheer Khan to the pacers from the high-performance monitoring group. With this camp laying emphasis on red ball bowling, these players worked closely with the stalwart on technical skills and also heard first-hand from him on developing other facets that are required to be successful in what is perhaps the most demanding discipline in cricket,” the Indian cricket board posted on X.
What is Zaheeer Khan’s role in BCCI?
Pacers from India A and U-19 setups attended the three-day camp that ended on Tuesday, March 3 in Bengaluru. Zaheer trained the youngsters on the skills needed to excel at the red-ball game.
As of now, Zaheer is not with BCCI in any official position but he could soon take up a job at the CoE in Bengaluru if the latest reports are to be believed. The bowling coach’s position at the CoE is vacant since Troy Cooley’s four-year tenure came to an end in December.
According to a report in the Times of India, the former left-arm pacer is keen on taking up coaching role but it is not clear if he will be willing to commit full-time.
Quick Reads
View All“Zaheer is very keen on taking up coaching roles. He was involved with Lucknow Super Giants and believes he can help the next generation of cricketers. It’s a good sign that a fast bowler of his stature has shown interest in BCCI programmes. However, it needs to be seen if he wants to take up a full-time job at CoE as it will require him to commit a lot of time away from his family,” a source told the daily.
A veteran of 92 Tests and 200 ODI matches, Zaheer has 311 and 282 wickets in the two formats. He also has 17 wickets in 17 T20Is and 102 IPL wickets. The left-arm pacer played a key role in India’s 2011 Cricket World Cup-winning campaign.