Irfan Pathan retires: Veteran Indian all-rounder hangs up boots from all formats of the game

Mumbai: Veteran bowling all-rounder Irfan Pathan brought down the curtains on his cricketing career on Saturday, officially announcing his decision at an event in Mumbai. Pathan, who last made an international appearance in India’s fixture against South Africa in the 2012 ICC World T20, has decided to retire from all forms of the game. [caption id=“attachment_7747491” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Irfan Pathan. Reuters[/caption] “I want to thank all my teammates. I never thought I would come from Baroda and play with heavyweights like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag…I want to thank my family, coaches, teammates but most of all I want to thank my fans,” said Pathan at the event organised by Star Sports in Mumbai. Pathan, a veteran of 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is, broke into the Indian team in the 2003 tour of Australia, making his international debut in the second Test against the hosts at Adelaide and soon became a permanent fixture in the Indian team. Three years later, he would register his name in an elite club by becoming only the second Indian bowler to collect a Test hat-trick by dismissing the Pakistan top order in the third Test at Karachi in January 2006. He was also part of the victorious Indian team at the 2007 World Twenty20 and was the man-of-the-match in the final against Pakistan. Pathan, who didn’t put himself in the IPL auction pool last month, 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. However, injuries and lack of form troubled him later in his career and his ability to swing the ball deteriorated. The Vadodara native has also represented a number of sides in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years — viz. Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals (erstwhile Daredevils), Kings XI Punjab, Rising Pune Supergiants and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He also played for Middlesex in England’s County Championship. Pathan has over the years made a name for himself in the world of commentary, and is often seen in the Star Sports comm box during India’s home season. With inputs from PTI