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."

Raman changed my approach towards game: Manoj

New Delhi: Replacing Yuvraj Singh in the one-day squad is not an easy job but Manoj Tiwary doesn't want any additional pressure on himself ahead of the West Indies tour.

"I should be honest enough to admit that when I was bowled by a Brett Lee yorker in Brisbane, I wasn't matured enough. Now I have played three more seasons of first-class cricket. I have done well in IPL against international bowlers. Definitely the confidence level and the self belief has improved." © Getty Images

And if the Bengal captain has learnt the art of releasing pressure, credit goes to current Bengal coach WV Raman.
"I will be forever being indebted to Raman sir for his contribution in my comeback to the national team. He has been like my Man Friday helping me get rid of the cobwebs I had in my mind," Manoj said on Friday.
Asked about Raman's role, he specified, "From Raman sir, I learnt to live in the moment rather than thinking too far ahead. Earlier, I used to get upset with any sort of criticism. At times, while going to the crease, I would think about national selection. Raman sir told me that my job is to score runs and forget about everything else.
"He took initiative to soak in some of my pressure and helped me concentrate on my game. Not to forget my childhood coach Manabendra Ghosh who has also supported me during tougher times."admit that he was a bit disappointed when he was initially not picked for the ODI series.
"I have always believed in hard work. But now I have started believing in destiny too. Otherwise, how can one explain that when I expected, I didn't get a call-up but when I least expected it, I am in the team."
Will it be huge pressure that he is replacing Yuvraj Singh, the 25-year-old Bengal captain replied, "I am not even thinking about that. I would just like to enjoy my game if I get a look-in. I am ready to perform any duty that team management would want me to perform."
The Bengal captain felt the difference from last time when he played for India is the maturity.
"I should be honest enough to admit that when I was bowled by a Brett Lee yorker in Brisbane (on February 3, 2008), I wasn't matured enough. Now I have played three more seasons of first-class cricket. I have done well in IPL against international bowlers. Definitely the confidence level and the self belief has improved," he said