AP, New Delhi :Fifteen years after making his debut, India pace bowler Zaheer Khan has retired from international cricket.The 37-year-old Khan, one of the best left-arm pace bowlers in India, took 311 wickets from 92 tests, 282 from 200 ODIs and 17 from 17 Twenty20 games. He played in three World Cups for India and was a member of the World Cup-winning squad in 2011 and the runner-up team in 2003.”The toughest call in a cricketing career is when one has to walk away from the game itself,” Khan said Thursday in a statement. “You almost will yourself and want to push that few, extra miles but then the body, after nearly two decades, decides not to respond.”Khan, who was plagued with injuries in recent years, including to his bowling arm, played his last test against New Zealand in Wellington last year. The last time he played an ODI was against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2012.”As I was training for the upcoming season, it dawned on me that my shoulder may not last the rigors of bowling nearly 18 overs a day, and that’s when I knew it was time,” Khan said.Khan played for Baroda and Mumbai in India, and for Worcestershire and Surrey in England.In the Indian Premier League, he has played for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore but now plays for Delhi Daredevils. He will play for Delhi again in the 2016 IPL in April-May.
