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Zaheer Khan seems to have fallen from grace. To be really frank, one should have seen it coming; the signs were all there- the languid movements, the insipid bowling, his very steps lacked the usual bounce. His bowling attacks don’t cause as much flutter as they used to. There was a time when the cricketer was the best known left-arm bowler in the Indian cricketing industry. Zaheer Khan Profile was so impressive that he was often the first choice in bowling. He could maneuver the ball both ways.

During the 2001 Ranji trophy series, he took eight wickets and was labeled the ‘Man of the match’. He was just a few months into professional cricket when he achieved the feat. When he was debuting for the Worcestershire County Cricket Club in England during 2006, he managed to single handedly take ten wickets that earned him the record as the first Worcestershire player to ever manage the amazing feat in over a century. During the India-Australia Test series that took place between 2008 and 2009, he surprised everyone with an all-around skillful performance in bowling as well as batting and consequently won the ‘Man of the Match’ award.

He was instrumental in promoting India to the final rounds of the 2003 World Cup, completing the series as the fourth highest wicket taker. His one man bowling attack helped India’s 2011 World Cup campaign tilt in their favor. He is the current record holder for the highest Test score, when he amassed 75 runs against Bangladesh in the year of 2004. There are plenty more records in Zaheer Khan statistics. It is not a wonder that people are highly disappointed that he has put on a less than impressive form these days.

When the team captain was questioned about Zaheer Khan’s dwindling profile, the skipper waived it off as a circumstantial problem. He said that his lethargic performance could be blamed on a number of things ranging from revved up batsmen to his fitness to certain indulgences. Zaheer Khan has in fact been rendered vulnerable by a number of injuries over the past few years. His exclusion from the squad competing in the Nagpur Test series was the cherry on the cake. But all hope is not lost; history has proved time and again that true talent never fades away into oblivion. A fine tuning now and then coupled with a healthy dose of self-esteem should help one get right back up on that horse.

It is the question in every football fan’s mind. It is one of the most mind boggling queries of all time. As a matter of fact, it is right up there with, “Is the world coming to an end in 2012?” But sadly, it is a question that sorely misses a unanimous answer. The question is “Who is a better football player, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? When the great football team giants like the Barcelona and the Real Madrid collide, the real battle takes place between its respective titans- Messi and Ronaldo.

To come nearer to an accurate answer, one must take a closer look at the lives, accomplishments, statistics and setbacks of both the players. Let us start with the Portuguese forward and the Real Madrid player- Ronaldo. He hails from a small town, south of Portugal and became an accomplished football player by the time he turned a teenager. He has previously played with the other Premier League heavy weights such as Liverpool and the Manchester United. He constantly strived and pushed himself to the limits to live up to his idols such as David Beckham and George Best. He has amassed an astounding number of titles and awards in his time, which include PFA Player of the year, World Soccer Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.

Messi, in all manner of speaking, is Ronaldo’s Argentinian counterpart. He is Barcelon’s defender and the captain of the Argentina national team. He was the winner of the prestigious Ballon d’Or in 2009. Lional Messi’s profile is cluttered with plaudits the likes of which include, FIFA World Player of the Year, FIFA Ballon d’Or and the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. He also has an Olympic gold to show for his victory in 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2005, Messi was the top scorer of the FIFA World Youth Championship.

When compared to Ronaldo, Lionel Messi’s statistics are not even a bit further behind. They stand neck to neck when it comes to skills, goals scored, remuneration and worldwide stardom. In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo became the world’s most expensive player when he signed with Real Madrid for a fee of Dollar 131 million. That record was beaten by Messi when he recently renewed his contract with Barcelona at Euro 27.5 million. This has caused Ronaldo a great deal of frustration who in turn has retorted with threats that he would leave Real Madrid, unless and until he is compensated handsomely.