Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has announced retirement from all forms of cricket on Saturday.
The left-arm pacer featured in 29 Tests (1105 runs and 100 wickets), 120 ODIs (1544 runs and 173 wickets) and 24 T20 Internationals (172 runs and 28 wickets), claiming a total of 301 international wickets combined. He finished his Test career with exactly 100 wickets.
The Baroda cricketer made his debut as a 19-year-old, in Adelaide against Australia in December 2003. The left-arm seamer’s bowling was like a breath of fresh air when he made his India debut at the Adelaide Oval. He never had express pace but his natural ability to swing the ball into the right-handers got him instant success.
He last played for India in October 2012 in a T20I against South Africa while his last apperance in the IPL came in 2017. He was with the Jammu and Kashmir team and his final appearance came in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament in February 2019.
Among his most notable achievements are the hat-trick in the first over of a Test match (against Pakistan in Karachi, 2006) and man of the match in the 2007 World T20 final. He also played a big role in India winning a Test match against Australia on a tough Perth wicket, which offered steep bounce.
Considered by many to be one of the most promising all-rounders India had produced since Kapil Dev, Pathan impressed with the bat over a period when he was often promoted up the order.
Injuries and lack of form troubled him thereafter and his ability to swing the ball deteriorated.
(With PTI inputs)
