Early Life
Irfan Pathan was born on October 27, 1984 in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. He comes from a modest background and is the son of Mehmood Khan Pathan, who was a muezzin at a local mosque. His elder brother Yusuf also became an international cricketer.
Young Prodigy in Cricket
From an early age, he showed his penchant for cricket and decided to pursue it professionally. Recognizing this raw talent, his father enrolled Irfan and his older brother Yusuf at Kiran More’s cricket academy in Baroda when they were still very young. Under able guidance, Pathan advanced through the ranks quickly to make his first-class debut at just 16 years old.
Rise to Fame as Bowler
In the Ranji Trophy domestic competition of 2001-02 season, he emerged with promising performance snaring 29 wickets in only six matches which brought him national recognition.
International Career Debut
Pathan made his international debut against Australia during December 2003. Initially seen as a replacement for Wasim Akram because of his unique ability to swing the ball both ways and good pace control. He spent over three years playing all formats of international cricket including Test Matches and One day internationals (ODIs).
Astonishing Achievements
Throughout his career, Pathan has claimed many noteworthy achievements. In January 2006, he became the first Indian bowler to take a hat trick in an opening overs of Test match against Pakistan that cemented his position in Indian team.
Career Setbacks and Struggles
Despite these successes, Irfan’s form gradually dipped down due to injuries starting affecting his pace and swing. This ultimately led to his exclusion from the team towards late 2008.
Comeback Attempts
Despite many attempts his return got often thwarted due to persistent injuries however, he continued playing for Baroda in domestic cricket and participating in Indian Premier League (IPL) where he had several prolific seasons.
Retirement
After years of struggles with form and fitness, Pathan announced his retirement from all forms of Cricket on January 4th, 2020.
Post-Retirement Life & Contribution to Society
Pathan has been involved in various philanthropic activities post-retirement. Currently, He runs a charitable foundation named “Cricket Academy of Pathans” along with his brother Yusuf. They provide cricket coaching for underprivileged kids nationwide.
