Zaheer Khan in Belfast on Friday

Calcutta: Team India captain Rahul Dravid’s Zaheer Khan-specific comments have raised eyebrows. The Mumbai speedster, after all, had been “fit” for selection when Dilip Vengsarkar and his colleagues met in New Delhi last week.

“Being thousands of miles away from Belfast, I wouldn’t like to speculate... What I can say with certainty is that Zaheer was fit on June 12, when we chose the two squads,” Vengsarkar told The Telegraph on Friday evening.

Zaheer had suffered a groin injury during the second Afro-Asia Cup match, in Chennai, and missed the last Asia versus Africa fixture.

Vengsarkar added: “The okay had come from the physio (John Gloster) and the trainer (Greg King)... We were also informed Zaheer would bowl during the camp in Bangalore, in the days leading up to the team’s departure... Besides, I’d myself spoken to him...”

Zaheer, in fact, did bowl there.

According to Vengsarkar, the team management could be looking to play it safe. “It’s a fact that Zaheer is coming off an injury... Also, the immediate opposition (Ireland) isn’t threatening... The bigger matches are later on the tour.”

Indeed, yes, but it wouldn’t be wise to totally write off a team which knocked Pakistan out of the World Cup.

Despite an experienced and high-on-numbers support staff, quite a few new-ball bowlers have broken down in recent times. Sreesanth and Munaf Patel even had to return home from the last tour — Bangladesh.

Actually, where fitness is concerned, Zaheer’s track record isn’t exactly glowing. Incidentally, he’s in both squads — For the ODIs (against Ireland, South Africa, Pakistan) and the three Tests versus England.

The 28-year-old is months away from completing seven years of international cricket.

Vengsarkar, meanwhile, will join the Dravids around July 8. That’s well before the start of the Test series (July 19).