BCCI recommends Zaheer for Arjuna Award

The Indian cricket board on Tuesday recommended pace spearhead Zaheer Khan for the prestigious Arjuna award for his excellent showing in the cricket World Cup.

"The BCCI has nominated Zaheer Khan for the Arjuna award for 2011," said N.Srinivasan, BCCI secretary and president-elect in a statement Tuesday.

The pacer, who took 21 wickets to finish the quadrennial extravaganza as the joint-highest wicket-taker with Shahid Afridi of Pakistan, has been in terrific form over the past one year.

If Zaheer wins the award, he will join the likes of Salim Durani, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi Vijay Manjrekar and team-mates Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar amongst others.

Gambhir was the last male cricketer to have won the award, in 2009, while women's team pacer Jhulan Goswamy received the honour last year.