5 reasons why we still miss Irfan Pathan

Not many would have witnessed as many ups and downs as Irfan Pathan did in his career. Having made his Test debut just at 19 back in 2003, a young all-rounder from Baroda had raised a lot of expectations. He was hailed to be the next ‘Kapil Dev’ following some brilliant performances early on in his career.

Pathan’s biggest strength was swing back then. He had the ability to move the ball both the ways and miles apart. Further, his claim in the India set-up was ever more strengthened with his skill with the willow in hand. Those straight batted shots, which often bailed the team out of troubles, were a delight to watch.

However, as he progressed ahead in his career, the injuries got the better of the man. His pace fell which resulted in the swing not creating as much impact as it did earlier. These injuries, which Kapil Dev always managed to escape miraculously, turned out to be a bane for the younger Pathan. Hence, he was never really able to reach his full potential.

Although he staged a few comebacks here and there, he never looked to be the Irfan Pathan of the old. As this all-rounder turns 34 today, let us have a look at five reasons as to why Team India still misses having a player like him.

1. The swing king for India

Irfan Pathan, as mentioned earlier, can swing the ball a long way. Be it the white ball or the red ball, he tends to be absolutely lethal when he is on the full throttle. His hat-trick against Pakistan was one of the finest exhibition of swing bowling. Salman Butt, Younis Khan, and Mohammad Yousuf didn’t have an answer to his swing.

In the current crop of bowlers for India, except for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the other bowlers do not swing the ball as much as Irfan used to do. They rely more on the variations. Pathan could be a nice option to have in the Indian lineup at the moment given that he is a left-arm bowler and could be ideal for the English conditions next year in the World Cup. His contributions with the bat would also be invaluable.