As his name does the rounds as one of the probables for the Champions Trophy, left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan says he is optimistic of earning a call-up for the premier one-day competition.
After missing out on the home series against England, the tour of West Indies and the forthcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka, Zaheer, currently plying his trade for English county Worcestershire, is quietly optimistic of a comeback at the Champions Trophy.
"I was very disappointed not to be picked for the England series, but I've left that behind. That's why I have decided to come here [Worcestershire] and perform. My answer to everything is performance. I've just decided to keep performing," said the Baroda seamer.
"I was expecting a recall for the Sri Lanka series but things didn't happen," he said.
However, the left-arm paceman, has not given up and is patiently biding his time.
"You just have to be patient. The good thing is, I have more matches here to stay in touch. The Champions Trophy and the South Africa tour are two big series that I am gearing up for," he told Cricinfo magazine.
Zaheer, whose career has been plagued by injuries, said bowling long spells in county cricket had helped his fitness.
"It [fitness] was one of the main reasons why I came here. I've been bowling a lot of overs [an average of 20 overs per innings) and that's helped in picking up my fitness level. It's added to my confidence as well," he said.
"The weather here is a big factor. The pitches you get here are totally different from India. There you rely a lot more on getting the ball to reverse. Here the conditions are more helpful, the ball does more if it's overcast," added Zaheer.
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