1. Irfan Pathan is an Indian cricket commentator, analyst and former player.
123 Facts About Irfan Pathan
1. 2.
Irfan Pathan was a bowling all-rounder and member of the Indian cricket team that won the inaugural 2007 ICC Twenty20 World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
3.
In early 2006, Irfan Pathan became the only bowler to take a Test hat-trick in the first over of the match.
4.
However, the productive run did not last and after the start of 2006, Irfan Pathan began to steadily lose pace and swing, and his wicket-taking dwindled.
5.
Irfan Pathan cemented his position in the team and was named by the International Cricket Council as the 2004 ICC Men's Emerging Player of the Year.
6.
Irfan Pathan was instrumental in India's ODI and Test series wins in Pakistan in 2004.
7.
Irfan Pathan was described by the media as the "blue-eyed boy" of Indian cricket.
8.
Irfan Pathan improved his batting skills and tried to become a complete bowling all-rounder, and he opened the batting on occasions in ODIs and scored 93 in a Test match in the role after an illness to Virender Sehwag.
9.
Irfan Pathan made three scores beyond 80 in the space of four Test innings against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
10.
Irfan Pathan rose to No 2 in the ICC's ODI rankings for all-rounders and was in the top five in the Test rankings.
11.
Irfan Pathan returned to international cricket in September 2007 for the inaugural World Twenty20, where he took three wickets and was man of the match as India beat Pakistan in the final.
12.
Irfan Pathan became the first Indian bowler on T20 World Cup debut who picked up a wicket on the first ball.
13.
In late-2007 Irfan Pathan was recalled into the Test team after 19 months and hit his maiden Test century, but could not maintain his place in the team as his bowling was not effective enough with only two pacemen needed.
14.
Irfan Pathan played his last Test for India in April 2008 against South Africa.
15.
Irfan Pathan continued to perform with both bat and ball at the domestic level, although his sedate pace was frequently criticized as being irrelevant at the international level.
16.
Irfan Pathan was a contestant in the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in 2015.
17.
Irfan Pathan made his acting debut in the 2022 Indian film Cobra.
18.
Irfan Pathan was born 27 October 1984 in Baroda, Gujarat, India and is of Pashtun ancestry, belonging to the Irfan Pathan community in Gujarat.
19.
Irfan Pathan grew up with his elder brother Yusuf in a mosque in Vadodara, in an impoverished family.
20.
Irfan Pathan had a 10-year long relationship with Australia-based Shivangi Dev.
21.
Irfan Pathan wanted to marry him but since Irfan wished his older brother Yusuf to get married prior, differences began to grow between the two and they broke up in 2012.
22.
Irfan Pathan married a Jeddah-based model, Safa Baig, on 4 February 2016, in Mecca.
23.
Under the guidance of former Indian captain Datta Gaekwad, Irfan Pathan rose to get selected in the Under-14 Baroda cricket team, and when he was selected at Under-15 level to represent Baroda in a national tournament, he was finally presented with a full set of cricket equipment, having before been restricted to second-hand gear due to his family's limited economic means.
24.
In December 1997, Irfan Pathan broke into the Baroda Under-16 team, less than two months after turning 13.
25.
Irfan Pathan did not play again for the Under-16s for two years, and in November 1999, less than a month after turning 15, he made his next appearance, this time for Baroda Under-19s against Maharashtra.
26.
Irfan Pathan bowled short spells in the younger division, taking four wickets at 38.00 in six matches, averaging less than seven overs an innings.
27.
Irfan Pathan had more success with the bat, scoring 253 runs at 31.62 including a best of 72 against Mumbai.
28.
Irfan Pathan was then selected for the India Under-15 team in mid-2000 to play a series of matches against their colleagues from other countries.
29.
Irfan Pathan was named as the player of the tournament, which India won after defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the final.
30.
Irfan Pathan scored 94 runs at 31.33 with the bat, compiling scores of 32,28 and 34.
31.
Irfan Pathan started against Bengal in March 2001, after fellow left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan was selected for the national team.
32.
Irfan Pathan ended his maiden season with seven wickets at 43.28 and 75 runs at 12.50 with a best score of 40 not out against Orissa.
33.
Irfan Pathan further honed his bowling at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, after being referred by Indian selector Kiran More.
34.
Irfan Pathan was selected for West Zone for the Duleep Trophy, even though he had not played a single match for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy season.
35.
Irfan Pathan then went on an India Under-19 tour of England in mid-2002.
36.
Irfan Pathan struggled in the Ranji Trophy, taking 18 wickets at 39.33 in seven matches.
37.
Irfan Pathan scored 161 runs at 23.00, with a 54 against Tamil Nadu being his maiden first-class fifty, as well as two other forties.
38.
Irfan Pathan ended the tournament with 19 wickets at 27.00 and scored 72 runs at 24.00.
39.
Irfan Pathan managed only 8 runs at 4.00 with the bat.
40.
Irfan Pathan made his Test debut in the Second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in December 2003.
41.
Irfan Pathan scored one in his only innings as India took a four-wicket victory.
42.
Irfan Pathan was dropped for the following Test upon the return of Zaheer, but was recalled for the Fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground after Zaheer broke down in his only spell in the Third Test.
43.
Irfan Pathan had Waugh caught behind from an outswinger and then bowled Gilchrist with an inswinging yorker.
44.
Irfan Pathan made 30 in the match as his team folded for only 151.
45.
Irfan Pathan's batting improved towards the end of the tour with three scores of at least 19 in his last four innings, and he ended with 86 runs at 17.20 for the tournament.
46.
Irfan Pathan subsequently led the pace attack again on the 2004 Test tour to Pakistan, taking 12 wickets and bowling a higher proportion of maiden overs than any other bowler to help secure India's first series victory over Pakistan in two decades.
47.
Irfan Pathan then scored 49 in the Second Test in Lahore after a batting collapse of the top order, helping India to recover to 287.
48.
Irfan Pathan ended the series with 12 wickets at 28.50 and 64 runs at 21.33.
49.
Irfan Pathan continued his prolific wicket-taking in the ODIs, taking eight wickets at 17.87 at an economy rate of 4.76 in three matches, including three top-order wickets in the deciding fifth ODI in Lahore.
50.
In recognition of his performances at the start of his international career, Irfan Pathan was named the ICC Emerging Player of the Year in 2004.
51.
Irfan Pathan continued his productive form in ODIs at the 2004 Asian Cup in Sri Lanka, where he was the leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets at 16.28 at an economy rate of 4.37 in six matches, with three three-wicket hauls against the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively.
52.
Irfan Pathan scored 64 runs at 32.00 including a 38 in a defeat against Pakistan.
53.
Irfan Pathan then struggled during an ODI tour in Europe, taking three wickets at 78.00 at an economy rate of 5.48 from five matches.
54.
Irfan Pathan returned to form during India's brief campaign at the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy in England, where he claimed 5 wickets at an average of 9.00 and economy rate of 3.00.
55.
Irfan Pathan continued to improve his batting with a defiant 31 and 55 against Australia in October 2004 in the First Test in Bangalore.
56.
In late 2004, the Board of Control for Cricket in India introduced central contracts for international players for the first time, and Irfan Pathan was given a B-grade contract.
57.
Irfan Pathan took only six wickets at 68.33 in the home Test series against Pakistan after losing pace and accuracy.
58.
Irfan Pathan was dropped for the ODI series, playing in only one match in which he conceded 67 runs without picking up a wicket in 8 overs.
59.
Irfan Pathan started to hone Pathan's batting skills, which had up to this point yielded 275 Test runs at 19.64.
60.
Irfan Pathan was signed by Middlesex County Cricket Club for the English country season, where he attempted to regain his form after his bad start to the year.
61.
Irfan Pathan scored 21 not out in the same match to help seal a 31-run win.
62.
Irfan Pathan was recalled to the ODI team for the 2005 Indian Oil Cup in Sri Lanka in August.
63.
Irfan Pathan scored 58 runs at 29.00 including an unbeaten 36 after India's batting collapsed in a loss to the hosts in a preliminary match.
64.
Irfan Pathan showed further signs of returning to peak form in the Videocon Triangular Series in Zimbabwe, taking 10 wickets at 16.10 at an economy rate of 5.03 and scored 60 runs at 30.00 in four matches.
65.
Irfan Pathan was again named man of the match, and his 21 wickets at 11.29 runs saw him named man of the series.
66.
Irfan Pathan took six wickets at 29.16 at an economy rate of 5.17.
67.
Irfan Pathan ended the series with six wickets at 20.33 at an economy rate of 4.69 and 83 runs at 27.66.
68.
Irfan Pathan later admitted that he had been disappointed in failing to score a Test century.
69.
Irfan Pathan had another difficult start to the new year in 2006 on the Test tour to Pakistan.
70.
Irfan Pathan had Butt caught by Dravid in the slips from an outswinger, before trapping Younis leg before wicket and bowling Yousuf, both with inswingers.
71.
Irfan Pathan ended the series with 134 runs at 44.66 and took eight wickets at 60.75.
72.
Irfan Pathan had a quiet series against England following his return to India, taking 8 wickets at an average of 39.37 runs and scoring 121 runs at an average of 24.20 runs in three Tests.
73.
Irfan Pathan scored 52 in the first innings of the Second Test in Mohali, helping India to a first-innings lead and eventually a nine-wicket win.
74.
Irfan Pathan only played once in the Second Test, after Sreesanth was sidelined due to injury.
75.
Chappell stated that Irfan Pathan was fatigued and had been overworked but was confident that Irfan Pathan "would recover from his slump and rise to further heights", asserting that he was still young and learning.
76.
Former India paceman Javagal Srinath expressed concern about Irfan Pathan's dwindling pace, but expressed that swing was the first priority in backing Irfan Pathan's return to international cricket.
77.
Irfan Pathan appeared to have run into some form during the Challenger Trophy when he took five wickets at 15.80 at an economy rate of 4.64 and scored 95 runs at 31.66 in three matches.
78.
Irfan Pathan was then demoted from the position of an opening bowler in ODIs during the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy; he took four wickets at 24.00 at an economy rate of 4.80, and scored only 29 runs at 9.66, as India were knocked out in the first round.
79.
Irfan Pathan was then limited to sporadic ODI appearances on the late-2006 tour to South Africa.
80.
Since the West Indies tour in May 2006, Irfan Pathan had only been taking wickets at 41.33.
81.
Irfan Pathan subsequently fell out of the Top 10 of the ICC bowling rankings and the Top 5 of the All rounder rankings after having spent the previous year on the list.
82.
Irfan Pathan takes wickets early, contributes with the bat, is good in the field.
83.
Irfan Pathan was initially dropped for the ODI series hosted by India against the West Indies, but was recalled for the final match in his home town after claiming seven wickets against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy semi-final.
84.
Irfan Pathan had an impressive start as he took the wicket of Lendl Simmons as a Leg Before Wicket.
85.
Irfan Pathan played no part in the tours of Bangladesh and England.
86.
India won all four matches, and Irfan Pathan scored 87 runs at 21.75.
87.
Irfan Pathan then took six wickets at 23.83 and scored 93 runs at 31.00 in four one-dayers.
88.
Irfan Pathan played in all 12 matches, seven against Australia and five against Pakistan.
89.
Irfan Pathan scored 131 runs at 18.71 in the lower-order and took 12 wickets at 46.00 at an economy rate of 5.02, averaging substantially worse than his overall career statistics.
90.
Irfan Pathan scored his maiden Test century, reaching the mark with a six from leg spinner Danish Kaneria to move from 96 to 102 with only last man, paceman Ishant Sharma left to accompany him, before holing out in the same over.
91.
Irfan Pathan batted well with scores of 28 and 46 respectively.
92.
Irfan Pathan had four of his victims caught behind the wicket off an edge and trapped Chris Rogers lbw.
93.
India won by 72 runs and Irfan Pathan was recognised with the man of the match award.
94.
Irfan Pathan held his place in the ODI team and played all 10 matches in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, scoring 118 runs at 19.66 mostly in the lower order and taking 11 wickets at 34.27 at an economy rate of 5.49.
95.
Irfan Pathan top-scored with 21* in India's first innings of 76 on the first morning and was again unbeaten in the second innings with 43.
96.
Irfan Pathan took 15 wickets at 23.33 at the economy rate of 6.60 runs per over.
97.
Irfan Pathan scored 131 runs at 21.83 and added 40 in a failed run-chase against Chennai Super Kings.
98.
Irfan Pathan had an unproductive time with the ball; although he scored a total of 86 runs at 28.66, he took seven wickets at 51.42 at an economy rate of 6.56.
99.
Irfan Pathan was overlooked for the Tests in Sri Lanka but was called into the team for the one-dayers, but played in only three of the five fixtures.
100.
Irfan Pathan took three wickets at 34.66, conceding 5.20 runs an over, and struggled with the bat, scoring 19 runs at 6.33 as the Indian batting collapsed in each match.
101.
Irfan Pathan was then included in an India A team for a series of matches against touring counterparts from New Zealand and Australia.
102.
Irfan Pathan had average results, taking four wickets at 43.75 and an economy rate of 4.86, and scored 56 runs at 18.66 in four games.
103.
Irfan Pathan did better the Challenger Trophy, taking six wickets at 14.00 at an economy rate of 3.42, and scored 71 runs at 35.50 as India Blue won all three matches.
104.
Irfan Pathan returned to play for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy.
105.
Irfan Pathan played in four matches and performed strongly, taking 26 wickets at 16.03 and scored 166 runs at 33.20.
106.
Irfan Pathan then put on an all-round display to guide his team to a victory over Maharashtra.
107.
However, with India persisting with and tasting success with their Test bowling strategy, Irfan Pathan was overlooked for the home Tests against England.
108.
Irfan Pathan took four wickets at 28.25 in two matches, but was again expensive, conceding 7.06 runs an over.
109.
However, he ended the tour on a high note when he combined with half-brother Yusuf in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand that saw India to a three-wicket win in the T20 international after a late flurry; Irfan Pathan ended on 33 not out.
110.
Irfan Pathan was left out of all five ODIs during the tour before heading home.
111.
Irfan Pathan then played in all 14 of Punjab's round-robin matches in the 2009 Indian Premier League held in South Africa, taking 17 wickets at 22.94 with an economy rate of 7.74, and scored 196 runs at 19.60.
112.
Irfan Pathan started strongly, taking nine wickets in four matches in the early stages of the tournament, before taking only two in the next five matches, and ending with six in the last three fixtures.
113.
Irfan Pathan played in six matches for Baroda as captain and was successful with both bat and ball, scoring 397 runs at 49.62 and taking 22 wickets at 18.54.
114.
Irfan Pathan reported this to the team management as he thought the gifts might be from a bookmaker.
115.
Irfan Pathan was recalled for India's ODI squad for last two matches of five match one-day series against West Indies in December 2011, and played in last match of the series, picking the wicket of first ball.
116.
Irfan Pathan was selected for the Commonwealth Bank Series, playing four games and scoring 96 runs at an average of 24 with a top score of 47.
117.
Irfan Pathan picked up two more wickets in the next two games.
118.
Irfan Pathan played for the Delhi Daredevils the Indian Premier League in 2012, taking only 8 wickets from 17 matches with an average of 58.12.
119.
Irfan Pathan emerged as the top wicket taker with a five-wicket haul.
120.
Irfan Pathan was a part of the Indian squad for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka.
121.
Irfan Pathan retired from all forms of cricket in January 2020.
122.
Irfan Pathan was a contestant on the Colors TV popular dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa for the 8th season, in 2015.
123.
Irfan Pathan impressed many people with his dancing skills, staying until he quit in the 6th week on 22 August 2015.