Early end to Zaheer's county stint

The fitness worries continue for Zaheer Khan © Getty Images Enlarge

Zaheer Khan's short county stint with Surrey has come to an early end. He was supposed to play his last match - a four-day game against Gloucestershire - on Wednesday, but The Indian Express reports that Zaheer has pulled out of that match and will return home instead.

According to the report, a spokesperson for Surrey confirmed that Zaheer's decision was prompted by fitness problems. "Zaheer informed us that he does not feel 100% match-fit, so he cannot play the game. Both parties have had an amicable parting of ways."

Zaheer had joined Surrey as an unpaid amateur in a short-term deal in which he was supposed to play one one-day game and two four-day matches. He made a sensational start in the one-dayer against Essex, taking two wickets in his first over, but his performance in the four-day match against Kent was more modest: he finished with 1 for 101 in 26.4 overs, and his only victim was Mohammad Sami, Kent's No. 11. Zaheer will return to India and participate in a six-day conditioning camp for fast bowlers, to be held in Bangalore from June 7.

Zaheer has been struggling with injuries over the last six months, and his county stint was part of his effort to regain his fitness before the start of the international season. A torn hamstring forced him to miss two out of four Tests on the tour to Australia, as well as the entire VB Series. He recovered in time to play the one-day series against Pakistan, but limped out of the Test series in Multan.

Zaheer's early departure poses a problem for Surrey as well, as they cannot sign another overseas replacement for Saqlain, whom he had replaced. Explaining the procedure, the Surrey spokesman said: "The ECB rules state that you can have just one replacement for an overseas player. Now we can do it only if Azhar Mahmood [Surrey's second overseas player] gets injured or if Saqlain were to come back and get injured again."