Zaheer Khan announces retirement

Indian left-arm seam bowler Zaheer Khan has announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket, saying his body is no longer up to the daily rigours of the game.

Khan, who turned 37 earlier this month, will play one more season of Indian Premier League before pulling up stumps for good, the bowler announced on Thursday.

He played 92 Tests, 200 one-day internationals and 17 Twenty20s for India, finishing his career with 610 international wickets.

His 311 Test wickets came at 32.94 while he picked up 282 scalps in ODIs.

Khan revealed it was during training for the upcoming cricket season that he realised his body would find it difficult to survive the daily rigours of the sport.

"The toughest call in a cricketing career is when one has to walk away from the game itself," Khan said.

"You almost want to push that few, extra miles but then the body, after nearly two decades, decides not to respond.

"As I was training for the upcoming season, it dawned on me that my shoulder may not last the rigours of bowling nearly 18 overs a day, and that's when I knew it was time."

In a statement announcing his retirement, Khan thanked his parents for supporting his decision to give up engineering to pursue a career in cricket.

"My dad, I distinctly remember said, 'Engineers toh bahut saare hein tu bowler hi ban na (There are a lot of engineers out there. You become a bowler)," he said.

Born in Shrirampur, a town fewer than 300kms to the east of Mumbai, Khan began his first-class cricket with Baroda before moving to play for Mumbai in 2006.

He made his international debut for India in 2000 during the ICC Knockout Trophy in Kenya, where he picked up three wickets against the hosts.

In his next match, he announced himself to the world with a blistering yorker that got the better of Australian captain Steve Waugh and bowled him, in turn helping India to victory.

He went on to lead the Indian attack in the 2011 World Cup and was the joint-top wicket-taker in the tournament with 21 scalps, helping his side clinch the title in the process.

"My greatest cricketing moment was lifting the 2011 World Cup as part of Team India and creating history," he said.

"We played as a top team and being part of the journey of India as a top ODI side was very fulfilling."

Zaheer played his first Test against Bangladesh soon after his ODI debut while his last game for India, the second Test match of their series against New Zealand in 2014, saw him finish with a five-wicket haul.

"As a young fast bowler who grew up watching the legends of the game, I remember the satisfaction and joy to win a Test match for India," he said.

"Winning ways are addictive and I thoroughly enjoyed sporting the whites for India as we emerged as the No. 1 test playing nation in the world."

Once termed as the "Tendulkar of Indian bowling" by MS Dhoni, Khan now wants to give back to the sport.

"Cricket has been my only life over the past two decades and is, in fact, that the only thing I know well. Cricket has made me the individual I am, giving me everything in life and much more.

"'Zak is Back' is perhaps a headline that may come my way again, as I have every intention of giving back to this game and our wonderful country which gave this kid from Shrirampur the opportunity to chase and live his dream.”

Khan's 610 international wickets across all formats are surpassed in India only by Anil Kumble (956), Harbhajan Singh (706) and Dev (687).

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, with whom Khan shared the Indian dressing room since 2000, paid tribute to the retiring bowler.

"One of the coolest pace bowlers I know," Tendulkar tweeted of Khan.

"He was a bowler who could 'out think' batsmen most of the times. Always up for a challenge.

"I am sure he will do well as he begins a new chapter in his life."