Arriving home with Indian cricketers and television commentators is a fascinating experience like nowhere else.

Making one's way through the Health, Immigration and Customs checkpoints at Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport, along with pace bowler Zaheer Khan, former Test batsman Sanjay Manjrekar and celebrity TV commentator Harsha Bhogle in the early hours of this morning from Johannesburg, made me feel like the shrink of whom an anonymous wag once said: "A psychiatrist is one who, when a good looking girl enters the room, looks at everybody else."

Zaheer Khan

Cricketing gods
The nod-nod, fawning recognition of the cricketing celebrities had to be seen to be believed: wide-eyed passengers, hangers-on, policemen, security, airline and customs staff falling over each other as they jostled to catch a glimpse of, and shake hands with, their cricketing gods.

Only in cricket-crazy India!
Whereas Manjrekar and Bhogle, who are fastu00a0 becoming as popular abroad as they are at home, were returning home after the Champions Trophy, Zaheer was coming back to prepare for the Australian's ODI series later this month, after undergoing surgery at the hands of eminent orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mark Ferguson of Johannesburg.

Ferguson had earlier successfully performed surgeries on former India captain and spin bowling legend Anil Kumble and pace bowler Javagal Srinath, now an ICC match referee.

Good progress
Zaheer said he was very happy with the way the three procedures on his left shoulder had gone.

Having watched India's rather disappointing performances in the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy from the sidelines, he said he just "can't wait to be part of the action again."

"It's been a long time," he said wistfully. "I feel good, have been bowling at nets in Joburg and intend playing a few games over the next couple of weeks," Zaheer said.

He added he had no intention of rushing into action, for fear of aggravating his problem, but hoped to regain full match fitness in time for the later part of the series against Ricky Ponting's Australians.

Zaheer Khan