Zaheer Khan is going to be one of the five recipients of the Wisden Almanac's Cricketer of the Year award, set to be announced today.

Every year, Wisden Cricket Almanac picks five cricketers who had performed exceptionally well in England. The other four cricketers set to receive the same are: Ian Bell, Ryan Sidebottom, Otis Gibson and Shivnaraine Chanderpaul.

The left-arm Indian paceman now joins the illustrious band of 14 Indian cricketers who were honoured before by the Bible of Cricket. The list is as follows: C.K. Nayyudu (1933), Vijay Merchant (1937), Vinoo Mankad (1947), Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (1968), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (1972), Sunil Gavaskar (1980), Kapil Dev (1983), Mohinder Amarnath (1984), Dilip Vengsarkar (1987), Mohammad Azharuddin (1991), Anil Kumble (1996), Sachin Tendulkar (1997), Rahul Dravid (2000) and VVS Laxman (2002).

Khan, out of the ongoing series against South Africa, was elated at the news. Gulf News spoke to him:

Gulf News: How happy are you?

Zaheer: I am obviously elated and am motivated to perform better. It is a great news for me.

What is the update on your injury...

I am yet to be fully fit. At the moment, I can bowl a maximum of seven overs in a day. But once I do so, I have to take rest for the next day. It is quite okay for me to play in the IPL where I have to bowl four overs a day but to be able to play Tests or one-dayers, I have to regain my full fitness.

Your 18 wickets in three Tests must have prompted Wisden to pick you as one of the best performers in England.

It might be so. But I feel my batting, too, played a part. I bowled well but batted better than my expectations!

What was the recipe of your success?

I want to credit the Derbyshire Cricket County Club for the success. I was then out of the national squad, but Derbyshire helped me to get back into rhythm. My sincere thanks to Graeme Hick too, who was inspirational at the initial stages.

Which one was the best among those 18 scalps?

The wicket of Vaughan in Nottingham Test. I was bowling round-the-wicket in the first innings and he was completely outwitted, offering a simple catch to Sachin in the slips.

And if you are to pick the best wicket of last year?

Ricky Ponting in Melbourne comes close second to that wicket of Vaughan. Both the wickets were special for me.