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NEWS Cricket World Cup 2007>Pathan ready to prove fitness 20th Feb 2007 22.03 IST By Agencies Plagued by a lacklustre form and niggling injuries, Irfan Pathan today admitted that things were not going his way but was keen to prove his form and fitness before the World Cup. Pathan, who is part of the World Cup squad, has been asked to play for West Zone in the Deodhar Trophy one-dayer against Central on Feb 25 in Ahmedabad to help assess his recovery from a soreness in the bowling shoulder that kept him out of the four-match series against Sri Lanka.
"I am looking forward to the game in Ahmedabad. It will be good match-practice before the World Cup," the left-arm seamer from Baroda said. "My fitness is good. The team physio and trainer have advised some shoulder strengthening exercises," said Pathan who last represented India in the fourth ODI against Windies at Vadodara. Pathan was dropped from the team during the South African tour as he had a poor run with the leather in the five-match one-day international series. After being sent home from South Africa, he was not considered for the first three ODI against Windies at home after he failed to strike form in the domestic circuit. "I am proud of the manner in which I have handled myself in the past few months," said Pathan while referring to the time he spent outside the Indian team in the recent weeks. Referring to his inability to strike form with the ball and his recent shoulder injury, the 22-year-old pacer, who has bagged 115 ODI wickets in 73 matches, said, "I have tried to look at only the positives of all that happened during the last few months." "Sometimes things do not go your way. That is what is happening to me," added the all-rounder who burst into the international scene in 2003 with his inswinging deliveries which earned him comparisons with Pakistani cricketing icon Wasim Akram . Pathan said he was eager to do well during the World Cup in the West Indies. "My morale is good. All I want is to bowl and try and win the World Cup (for the country)," he said, adding "I am looking forward to the challenge." Also View In-Depth Coverage: Cricket World Cup 2007 Team Page: India Team Page: West Indies | LIVE CRICKET COVERAGE NEWS ~ Gilchrist has no plans to retire after World Cup ~ Ganguly's new batting approach may cost him sixer record ~ India 'squash the Orange' in World Cup warm-up game ~ Symonds gets a new hairdo for World Cup ~ Dhoni readies himself for stand-up act at World Cup (more in NEWS) FACE-TO-FACE ~ 500-mark a possibility in World Cup: Hayden ~ Minnows add charm to World Cup: Dravid (more in FACE-TO-FACE) COLUMNS ~ Will Sri Lanka replicate 1996 World Cup success? (more in COLUMNS) OFF-THE-FIELD ~ Ganguly again the darling of corporate world ~ Ganguly roped in as brand ambassador of Puma (more in OFF-THE-FIELD) PLAYERS Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble (more PLAYERS) TEAMS India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, Zimbabwe, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Kenya, Holland | 
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