Zaheer Khan

Former Australian pace bowler and the bowling coach of the Kings XI Punjab, said that Zaheer Khan is one of the finest bowlers around in world cricket. He was also happy that the left arm speedster was reaping benefits for the hard work he put in and the struggle he suffered early in his career.

He added that this was the second phase in Zaheer’s career and he admires the way he has learnt the art of pace bowling by being in complete control of his own self. He also felt that this is one of the most essential things a fast bowler must understand.

When asked about Praveen Kumar who is representing Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, Gillespie said the swing bowler was getting into the groove after a long injury lay-off that kept him out of the World Cup. He said that Praveen is a good swing bowler and has got some good change of pace. He was wary of the fact that he has taken a bit of time coming back but he is pretty much back to full fitness now.

He was also wary about the fact that his side needed victories to stay in the tournament. He said that they stick to specific plans which would help them fancy their chances. He said that he was  satisfied with the performance of the kings XI and emphasized that the team needed more consistency more than anything else.

The former Australian fast bowler believes that the team’s opener Paul Valthaty who has scored 268 runs in six games, has in him the potential to become a genuine all-rounder. He lauded the hard work and perseverance of Valthaty which has eventually benefitted him in this IPL. He felt that at this point of the game, with his hand seam-up bowling, he can give an option to the captain

He preferred not to comment on playing five foreigners and added that playing four is pretty good thing. He was confident about the appointment of Duncan Fletcher as the coach for team India and believed that he would change Indian cricket for the better.

Tags: Cricket, Fast Bowler, India, IPL, Jason Gillespie, Kings XI Punjab, Zaheer Khan