The saga of Yusuf and Irfan - Is the Pathan power declining?

When Yusuf Pathan made his international debut in the final of the first ever Twenty20 World Cup in 2007, one person who was extremely happy was his younger brother and left-arm medium pacer, Irfan who was also his team-mate. It was a dream come true for the pair of siblings who’ve had to struggle to make it big in the world of cricket owing to their limited family means. Together, both brothers displayed their cricketing skills to the maximum as India defeated Pakistan on that memorable September day.

Further proof of their talent was provided when the Baroda duo shared a match-winning partnership of 59 runs off 25 balls as India beat Sri Lanka back in 2009. It led cricketing pundits to think that perhaps the national side had found an answer to the all-rounder conundrum and the No. 6 batsman’s puzzle.

Then came the IPL, and both brothers faced off numerous times over the seasons – with Irfan’s side usually enjoying the better of the exchanges. But over the years, injuries and form slumps have affected their performances so much so that both men find themselves out of favour with the Indian cricket establishment. In addition, they have delivered nothing but ordinary performances in the IPL since 2010. And that has hurt not only their respective franchises, but the two individuals themselves.

For Irfan, the beginning of IPL 2013 showed a player who had regained his rhythm and confidence in leaps and bounds. The left-hander has set his sights on becoming a genuine all-rounder, although the BCCI still considers him to be a bowler who can bat a bit.

However, as the tournament has progressed, though Irfan’s performances have remained somewhat consistent, he hasn’t been able to win too many matches for his side – he’s given away runs at times, and he hasn’t done too well with the bat at crucial junctures. His most potent weapon, swing, has deserted him at times in the IPL – though to be fair, the tracks in India aren’t all that conducive to his style of bowling. It means he’s had to rely on the conventional stuff – short balls, slower bouncers, and the like.

Despite his average performances, he has slowly started his journey back into form and into national reckoning – being rewarded with a place in the squad for the Champions Trophy. Perhaps this selection will be the beginning of his redemption.

Yusuf, on the other hand, has looked a pale shadow of his previous self. In the IPL’s short history, he has seen himself from being a match-winner for Rajasthan Royals to being considered as the most overpaid player, since he has failed to justify his $2.1 million purchase by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

From the highs of being the Man of the Match in the 2008 IPL final for the Royals against Chennai Super Kings to the lows of being dropped for KKR’s key clashes in 2013, the elder Pathan has seen it all. It appears that the bowlers have sorted him out, and as a result, he gets out playing rash shots at times. There is absolutely no thinking behind his shot selection; he keeps fishing outside the off-stump and misses more often than not. His key skill is to hit the ball into the stands by plonking his front foot down, so bowlers have countered that by sending in the short-pitched stuff.

The Baroda Bomber needs to realise that T20 is not just about power-hitting, it is also about playing smart cricket. And it is also about running fast between the wickets, which Yusuf certainly hasn’t done too much of lately. Sure, he’s played the odd cameo once in a while, but there’s plenty more needed from him.

In a way, Yusuf is similar to Kieron Pollard – both are tall and powerful strikers of the ball. Yet, while Pollard’s hitting has a lot of confidence behind it, Yusuf’s reflects either boredom or flawed thinking, thus leading to a lack of confidence and more mistimed strokes that end up in the hands of fielders. And in the end, his side suffers.

Both brothers are still exciting prospects for Indian cricket. In the slam-bang world of Twenty20, their skills would be an invaluable asset to the side. What they need to do, as of now, is take a long hard look at their game and reflect on it. They need to remember how to have fun – after all, that is what cricket is about. Having fun gives you confidence, confidence leads to hard work, hard work leads to success.

They have to look beyond the glamour of T20 cricket and go through the grind. If they can do this, we could be seeing them back to their best soon. Is the Pathan power declining? Not just yet.