Zaheer's experience vital for England tour, says Dravid

MUMBAI, India, June 19 (Reuters) India captain Rahul Dravid is counting on left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan to mentor a young pace attack during next month's tour of England and the preceding one-dayers in Ireland and Scotland.

India are hoping to bounce back from their shock first-round exit from the World Cup but are hampered by the absence of a full-time coach and an inexperienced pace attack.

''He (Zaheer) has played county cricket, has the experience, leads the attack and he is also one who will have a big role to play in mentoring some of the younger boys coming through,'' Dravid told a news conference today ahead of the team's departure to Ireland.

India play a three-match one-day series against South Africa in Ireland and one match against the hosts.

They then play Pakistan in a charity one-dayer in Glasgow before travelling to England in July for three tests and seven one-dayers.

The five-man pace attack for the tests has a new face in Ranadeb Bose while Ishant Sharma has played only one test.

Left-arm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh has played four tests while Shanthakumaran Sreesanth has played eight. Zaheer is the most experience having played 47.

India have been without a coach since April after Australian Greg Chappell resigned following the team's early departure from the World Cup. South African Graham Ford turned down an offer to succeed him earlier this month.

Former captain Chandu Borde, 72, has been named interim cricket manager, a role that former all-rounder Ravi Shastri performed during the recent tour of Bangladesh.

''Borde has a huge amount of experience. I am sure we will dip into that knowledge and experience during the course of the tour,'' said Dravid, who announced this would be his final tour of England.

India drew the four-test series 1-1 during the previous tour of England in 2002 with Dravid scoring three centuries, including a double hundred.

Reuters PY DB2224