Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan Profile & Biography

Monday, October 01, 2007

Irfan Pathan
India

Player profile

Full name Irfan Khan Pathan

Born October 27, 1984, Baroda, Gujarat
Current age 22 years 339 days
Major teams India, Baroda, Middlesex
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Left-arm medium-fast
Relations Brother - YK Pathan

Career statistics
Test debut Australia v India at Adelaide - Dec 12-16, 2003
Last Test West Indies v India at Gros Islet - Jun 10-14, 2006
ODI debut Australia v India at Melbourne - Jan 9, 2004
Last ODI India v Australia at Bangalore - Sep 29, 2007
Twenty20 Int. debut South Africa v India at Johannesburg - Dec 1, 2006
Last Twenty20 Int. India v Pakistan at Johannesburg - Sep 24, 2007
First-class span 2000/01 - 2007
List A span 2001/02 - 2007/08
Twenty20 span 2005 - 2007/08

Notes
ICC Emerging Player of the Year 2004

Profile

Irfan Khan Pathan was considered by many, with reason, as the most talented swing and seam bowler to emerge from India since Kapil Dev. Within a couple of years in international cricket, he was thought of as a possible successor for Kapil in the allround department. When he made his Test debut in Australia in 2003-04, it was with the energy of a 19-year-old, but a composed nous that was striking even for one who had been specifically readied for the purpose via the A-team and age-group channels. His instinct is not merely what to bowl to who and when, but also to keep learning new tricks. He played a big part in India's one-day and the Test series wins on their revival tour of Pakistan. His batting soon took off and he was regularly pushed up the order - his first stint at No.3 resulted in a spectacular 83 against Sri Lanka at Nagpur - and he often bailed India out of strife in the Test arena as well. His bowling form, though, nosedived in 2006, and he struggled to make it to both the Test and ODI teams when the year ended, becoming the first Indian player to be sent back from a tour (South Africa) to concentrate on domestic cricket. He did make it to the World Cup squad but didn't figure in a single game during India's disappointing campaign, after which he was dropped from both the Test and one-day sides. Recalled to the side for the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in September 2007, Pathan did not disappoint, snapping up 10 wickets at 14.90. His crucial spell of 3 for 16 in the final against Pakistan earned him the Man-of-the-Match award and he returned to India to take on Australia in a seven-ODI series.