Legendary India pacer Zaheer Khan has talked about the possibility of becoming the Indian team head coach in the future and stated that it would be an honor for him.
Before tomorrow's KKR versus LSG match at Eden Gardens, Zaheer Khan, the Lucknow franchise's mentor, attended a session in Kolkata called 'India@100: Leadership Insight from the Sports Economy' with skipper Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran.
At the ceremony, Zaheer was asked if he would consider being India's head coach in the future. He claimed it would be an honor for him. Zaheer also discussed the rise of youthful talent in the IPL.
“It would be an honour to coach Team India," Zaheer Khan said at the event.
"The determination and hunger in youngsters excites me. IPL gives them the opportunity. When the league started in 2008, around 600–800 players had registered. But if you look at the last mega-auction, nearly 1600 players registered. That is the growth and success story of cricket we are talking about,” Zaheer highlighted IPL's importance.
“Earlier, due to limited opportunities, talented players would drift away from the game. But now, many more are staying and chasing the dream of playing for an IPL franchise. That dream helps them in their journey to the national team. When you enter the dressing room, you’ll always see uncapped players eager to learn.
They are constantly chatting with players like Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, or any other senior cricketer with international experience. All of this is so important for Indian cricket to keep dominating. Working with such players gives me true fulfillment,” he added.
Zaheer was also asked about the future of Test cricket in India, considering the sport's diminishing global popularity.
He responded confidently: “Not at all. I am not worried. The time will come when Tests, ODIs, and T20Is can happen in parallel. There are still many people who love and follow Test cricket. Now, we’re seeing more results in Tests, and that’s exciting. Strong teams are playing five-match series, which is another step in the right direction.”
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