WI vs IND | Want to serve the team the way Zaheer Khan did, says Khaleel Ahmed
Khaleel Ahmed has stated that he wants to emulate Zaheer Khan and if he can serve the team like the way the latter did, he would be really happy. Khaleel is a part of India's T20I and ODI squad currently touring the USA and West Indies after missing out on the ICC World Cup squad.
Ever since Zaheer Khan’s retirement from international cricket, India have been devoid of a quality left-arm pacer which propelled Khaleel Ahmed’s selection in the Indian side earlier than he would have expected. Khaleel too has always credited Zaheer Khan as his idol and how he always tried to emulate him in his career. He once again repeated the same sentiments after a successful return to the Indian side for the Windies series.
"I want to play as long as Zaheer bhai played for the country. I want to serve Team India the way he did. When Zaheer bhai used to start proceedings for India, there used to be lots of excitement and cheer. I want to take my game to that level. I also want to become an asset for the team just like he was," Khaleel told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.
"Whenever I am in doubt, I call him (Zaheer), he is always available. Team India has given me that three-star jersey and I want to justify my inclusion. I want to serve my country with sweat, sacrifice, hard work and determination,” he said.
With decent pace and the ability to experiment with variations, Khaleel has been getting regular national-team call-ups after making his ODI debut in September 2018 in the Asia Cup. The left-arm pacer from Rajasthan was instrumental in India’s 2018 Asia Cup triumph and the team’s victorious campaign against the West Indies in ODIs and T20Is at home. On being asked about if he felt bad for missing out of the series, he said that he wasn’t happy.Â
“It feels really good when your captain backs you and gives you confidence. Honestly, I wasn’t sad when I was not picked for the World Cup. I told myself that I need more preparation to represent my country in a big tournament like the World Cup. I am young and this is not the end of the road for me. I have to go a long way,” Khaleel said.
“I always try to be honest with myself. I have to improve in life. When I was not picked (for the World Cup), I told myself that I still have to add a lot of things to my CV. My only aim is to play as long as possible for India. I have worked really hard on my variations and speed for the upcoming series,” he said.