MUMBAI: All-rounder Irfan Pathan on Saturday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending an injury-ridden career that prevented him from realising his true potential.
The 35-year-old’s retirement was on expected lines, considering he last played a competitive game in February 2019 during the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy for Jammu and Kashmir.
Before turning up for Jammu and Kashmir as a player cum mentor in 2018, Pathan played all his domestic cricket for Baroda.
Though he remains a non-playing mentor to the Jammu and Kashmir outfit, Irfan had not been playing over the past 12 months and did not even put himself in the IPL auction pool last month.
The left-arm seamer’s bowling was like a breath of fresh air when he made his India debut against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2003. He was all of 19 back then.
He never had express pace but his natural ability to swing the ball into the right-handers got him instant success, also drawing comparisons with the great Kapil Dev.
It seemed India had found the all-rounder they were looking for since Kapil left the scene. (AGENCIES)
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