Zaheer Khan’s retirement from international cricket comes as no surprise. Unable to recover from his injuries, it was inevitable that India’s greatest left-arm fast bowler would call it a day. Team India would have loved to have him in their pace pack but a player, however celebrated, can’t make it if not fully fit.

However, the current generation of Indian fast bowlers must view him as an inspiration. His success — most number of international wickets (610) by an Indian fast bowler after Kapil Dev — came about through sheer hard work, the right kind of decisions and above all, the belief. It is Zaheer’s belief that caused him to give up a career in engineering and decide to make fast bowling his profession.