It is not true that Greg Chappell spoiled my career: Former Indian cricket team pacer Irfan Pathan
Former Indian cricket team bowler Irfan Pathan has been actively giving a lot of interviews these days, making interesting revelations from his playing days. In his latest discussion, Irfan Pathan disproved the theory that former Indian cricket team head coach Greg Chappell had promoted him to play higher up the order.
Irfan Pathan revealed that it was actually Sachin Tendulkar who thought of this idea. It was in 2005 in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Nagpur when Irfan Pathan batted at No.3 for the first time. The southpaw scored a 70-ball 83 as the Indian cricket team scored 350/6 in their stipulated 50 overs.
It was widely assumed that Chappell promoted the all-rounder up the batting order to distract him from his bowling. When quizzed about the same, Irfan said that Chappell became a punching bag due to his controversial reign as the head coach of the Indian cricket team from 2005 to 2007.
“I had said this after I had announced my retirement as well. Those who talk about Greg Chappell spoiling my career, by sending me as an all-rounder at No.3 and all these things… actually, it was Sachin paaji’s idea,” Pathan told Raunak Kapoor on his channel Beyond The Field.
“He advised Rahul Dravid to send me at No.3. He said ‘he (Irfan) has the power to hit sixes, can take on the new ball and can play the fast bowlers well too’. It’s not true that Greg Chappell spoiled my career. Since he was not from India, it is easier to make him a punching bag, Irfan Pathan added.
Indian cricket team and Irfan Pathan: A love story that didn't blossom enough
Irfan Pathan had once been the fastest to 100 ODI wickets, accomplishing that feat in 59 matches. But, after he started batting up the order, Irfan dismissed only 73 batsmen in the next 61 matches.
And, rather shockingly, his career came to an abrupt end with his last limited-overs appearance coming in a T20I against South Africa in October 2012.
“If you see the first 59 ODI matches that I played, I got to bowl with the new ball. But when you are bowling first change, your role changes as well, your role becomes defensive. If your role becomes different, then your numbers become different as well. I actually feel that people from the team should have spoken about it,” said Irfan Pathan.
The all-rounder represented the Indian cricket team in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is.