Table of Contents
Former India allrounder Irfan Pathan has lashed out at the Indian selectors for the way they treated him. He retired from all forms of cricket previously this year after perhaps losing all hopes of making it to the national team. Irfan Pathan’s career did not actually finish in the manner lots of would have considered.
In the early years of his career, Irfan Pathan was considered by lots of as the most talented swing and seam bowler to emerge from India since Kapil Dev. He got a Test hat-trick in Pakistan in 2006 and still remains the only bowler to do so in the very over of the match. In 2007, he was the Man of the Match when India beat Pakistan in the final of the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup.
In addition to his bowling, Irfan Pathan succeeded with the bat, too, as he was promoted as an opener or a No 3 a few times for the team’s cause. In 29 Tests, he averaged 31.57 with the bat, including a century and 6 fifties in 40 innings. In ODIs and T20Is, he averaged 23.39 and 24.57, respectively.
However, things did not really unfold in a good manner for him towards the end of the 2000s as he struggled to deliver. He did earn a few recalls but never truly managed to deliver like the way he did at the start of his career. Irfan Pathan played his last Test way back in 2008 while his last ODI and T20I appearance came in 2012. The former allrounder has now stated that the selectors never really backed him.
“Mindset in India is different from England and Australia. I remember Michael Hussey made his international debut at the age of 29, and he became one of the greats for Australia when he finished his career, he’s remembered as Mr. cricket. But, in India, no player makes a debut at the age of 30, selectors will not entertain such players,” Irfan Pathan stated.
“Selectors made me ‘buddha’ at the age of 30. There’s no communication from the board and selectors. If they say ‘Irfan, you give your best for one year, and you can be available for Team India,’ I will obviously give my best by leaving everything aside, but there’s no one to communicate at all,” he stated.
Overall, he represented India in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is. The former allrounder picked up 301 international wickets and scored more than 2500 runs across formats.
