Unfit Zaheer to miss Irani Cup tie

Mumbai: Zaheer Khan was on Wednesday not picked by newly crowned Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai for their five-day Irani Cup match against the Rest of India beginning at the Wankhede Stadium on February 6, as he has not yet recovered from the calf injury he sustained at the start of this month.

"Zaheer is not yet fit and it seems he would need at least three weeks to regain fitness," informed Mumbai Cricket Association`s secretary Nitin Dalal after the selection committee meeting. The senior left-arm pacer, who was injured during Mumbai`s last league game against Gujarat at the D Y Patil Stadium thus appears in doubt for at least the initial part of the four-Test series against Australia, commencing with the first game at Chennai on February 22. Zaheer has not played since he picked up the injury and missed Mumbai`s matches in the Ranji knockout phase that culminated in their 40th title triumph two days ago. Mumbai made two changes to the 15-men squad that won the Ranji final by an innings and 125 runs in under three days against Saurashtra here, bringing in Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma for Nikhil Patil Jr. And Sushant Marathe, according to Dalal who convened the selection committee meeting. "The rest of the squad remains the same," he added. RoI would be led by Virender Sehwag. Mumbai squad: Ajit Agarkar (Capt.), Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Jaffer, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dhaval Kulkarni, Kaustubh Pawar, Abhishek Nayar, Hiken Shah, Aditya Tare, Ankit Chavan, Javed Khan, Shardul Thakur and Vishal Dabholkar. PTI