When Irfan Pathan first burst onto the international scene, expectations were sky-high. He made his Test debut in Australia at just 19—a tough stage for any newcomer—but immediately caught attention with his swing, accuracy, and aggressive bowling. Within a year, Irfan was drafted into the ODI team, quickly establishing himself as a key bowler for India. He also featured in India’s first-ever T20I against South Africa in 2006.
However, his journey took a difficult turn in 2009. Irfan had already been sidelined from the Test squad a year earlier, and soon after, he was dropped from the ODI team following the Sri Lanka series. The setback was significant, forcing him to spend nearly three years away from international cricket.
Irfan returned in 2012, but by then, India’s fast-bowling lineup had transformed. Rising talents like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma had cemented their spots with consistent performances. Though Irfan managed to play 12 more matches during his comeback, his international career eventually wound down, culminating in his retirement in 2020.
Recently, Irfan opened up about the circumstances that ended his international career. Known not only for his bowling but also for his valuable contributions with the bat lower down the order, he shared how MS Dhoni, then captain of India, made the decision to sideline him.
“It was back in 2009, when we were in New Zealand. Before that, my brother (Yusuf Pathan) and I had won matches in Sri Lanka. The situation in which we had pulled a win – if it had been anyone else in our place, they wouldn’t have been dropped for a year. In that match against Sri Lanka, we needed 60 runs from just 27–28 balls, and we won it from there,” he said during a chat with The Lallantop.
“In New Zealand, I was benched for the first match, the second match, and the third match as well. The fourth match was a draw because of rain. I wasn’t in the final match either. Then I asked Gary sir why I had been dropped. If there was something I needed to improve, he could tell me, but I wanted to know the reason I was left out.”
“Kirsten gave me two reasons. He said, ‘There are things that are not in my hand.’ Those were Gary’s exact words. I asked whose hands it was in, but he didn’t tell me. I already knew whose hands it was in. The playing XI is decided by the captain’s choice. The decision rests with the captain, coach, and management. Dhoni was the captain at that time. I won’t get into whether that decision was right or wrong, because every captain has the right to run the team in his own way,” Pathan said.
“The second answer was that they were looking for a batting all-rounder at No. 7. Fair enough — my brother was a batting all-rounder, while I was a bowling all-rounder. The two were different from each other, but there was only room for one in the team. Nowadays, if you ask whether two all-rounders are needed, people would gladly take both.”
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