WI tour an opportunity for youngsters to cement place: Zaheer

Mumbai: Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan on Sunday said the upcoming tour to West Indies would be a good opportunity for the youngsters to cement their place in the national squad.

"It is a very good opportunity for young players to showcase their talent. It's a big tour and if they perform well, they can cement their place in the team," he said during a promotional event.

India will play three tests, five ODIs and a lone T20 game during their tour to the Caribbean in June-July.

Senior players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh will miss the entire tour, while Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will join the team only for Test series.

On the appointment of Suresh Raina as the skipper for the ODIs and T20, Zaheer said," I want to wish good luck to him. He is a very good cricketer and is performing well for the past two years. I hope he does well."

The 32-year-old pacer said Dhoni was enjoying a great run as a skipper. "He is having an amazing run. IPL, Champions League, again IPL and in between the World Cup as well. He keeps things simple. He doesn't complicate things much and maintains calmness. He is a very good captain. I hope that he is even more successful."

Zaheer, who has taken 271 Test wickets and 273 ODI scalps in 78 and 191 matches respectively, said he preferred to rest as he wanted to keep himself fit for the tough series ahead.

"It's obviously a hectic season ahead. We are playing a lot of crucial tours in the upcoming months. Personally, it's crucial for me to keep myself fit - that is the plan. To keep the niggles out and stay on top of it", he said.

"Cricket is my passion. I enjoy bowling," he added. On whether there should be a window for IPL, he said, "We already have a window. It starts in April and goes on around till May, so that's the window."

Asked whether his father, known to be a disciplinarian, allowed him to indulge in fancy hair-cuts when he was young, Zaheer said, "My father has always been a fan of soldier cut. It was the only hair-cut I knew while I was growing up."

T20 World Cup experience will help me, says Vinay

Bangalore: Medium pacer R Vinay Kumar on Friday expressed confidence that he would be able to perform well and contribute to India's success during the one-off T20 and five-match ODI series against the West Indies.

"It is a great honour to represent the country. I will try to make good use of this opportunity and contribute to the success of the Indian team," Vinay Kumar said. © AFP

Vinay, who wears his heart on his sleeves and plays with a never-say-die attitude, felt his experience of playing the ICC 2010 T20 World Cup in the West Indies would keep him in good stead.
"It is a great honour to represent the country. I will try to make good use of this opportunity and contribute to the success of the Indian team," Vinay Kumar, who has played three T20 internationals and two ODI, said.
"The experience of having played a few matches in the West Indies during the T20 World Cup will certainly help me. I have a better understanding of how to bowl in the conditions there," added Vinay during a felicitation ceremony here.
India are to play an one-off T20 and five-match ODI series against West Indies, which begins on June 4 at Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The team is expected to fly out of Mumbai on