Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players'What a transformed bowler Zaheer Khan was after his stint': Murali Kartik stresses on value of playing county cricket
Citing the example of Zaheer Khan, Murali Kartik explained the importance of county cricket and how it holds the potential of transforming a cricketer.
Murali Kartik, the former India cricketer, has spoken very highly of county cricket in England. Kartik, who was involved in the County Championship through various stints with Somerset, Lancashire, Surrey, and Middlesex, termed the whole experience as "great education for every cricketer".
Citing the example of Zaheer Khan, the former India left-arm spinner explained the importance of county cricket and how it holds the potential of transforming a cricketer. During his conversation with R. Ashwin on his Youtube show 'DRS with Ash', Kartik mentioned how it benefitted one of India's best pacers, Zaheer.
"It is a great education, trust me, for every cricketer -- forget spinners, seamers, batsmen. I know you (Ashwin) have gone and played as well.
"Zaheer Khan, what a transformed bowler he was after his county stint," said Karthik.
Former left-arm pacer Zaheer hit a lean patch in 2006. He then joined Worcestershire, replacing injured Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. The Indian cricketer made the most of it as he pocketed 78 wickets in 16 games for this county team and didn't look back from thereon.
The following year, Zaheen grabbed 41 wickets in 9 Test matches, as opposed to 18 wickets in 4 games in 2006. In ODIs in 2007, he ended up picking 40 wickets in 33 games. He was a changed, improved bowler after the county stint.
Forty-four-year-old Kartik, who was in and out of the Indian team, became a regular on the county scene. Recalling his experience, Kartik explained:
“For me, personally, the ball didn’t turn. Even if it did, it was very slow. I was there as an overseas player and that was added pressure as well as you are expected to deliver irrespective of the surfaces even if you have Jimmy Anderson and Dominic Cork in your line-up. That is what I learnt when I first went to Lancashire. For me, I went there after Muttiah Muralitharan. So that was again big shoes to fill. What I learnt was that, as a bowler, when you play the first day of a championship match, how do you bowl?" said Karthik.
Cricketer-turned-commentator also spoke about how essential it was for him to adjust and mould himself according to the conditions to reap maximum benefit.
ALSO READ| 'The team which won in Australia had lost in New Zealand': Chopra names his favourite for WTC final
“You might be an attacking spinner by nature. But you have to tone down that menu according to the day and wicket that you are playing in. Because, just on a 10-mile radius, the wickets are so different. Essex is different compared to Middlesex, which is so flat. In fact, on the same Middlesex ground, towards the slope, towards the visitors’ pavilion, it will be flat, but on the other end, it starts seaming,” he added.
Kartik ended his international career with 61 wickets in 46 matches.
