IPL 2017 auction: Irfan Pathan pens emotional note for his fans on Twitter after snub

Irfan Pathan was one of the most prominent names that went unsold in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) auction ahead of the tournament’s 10th edition. The all-rounder took to social media to pen an emotional letter to his fans, and said he isn’t ready to give up on his career yet. [caption id=“attachment_3296364” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of bowler Irfan Pathan from the 2016 Indian Premier League. AFP[/caption] Pathan, who had a base price of Rs 50 lakh, would have expected interest from a few franchises for his all-round skills but the day saw the eight teams opting for young, uncapped players instead. The 32-year-old cricketer from Baroda explained on Twitter how he had not given up on the sport even when he was sidelined with five fractures in his back. “In 2010, I had undergone five fractures in my back. The physio had told to me that I might not be able to play cricket ever again and should rather give up on my dream. At that point of time I told him, I can bear any pain but cannot the bear the pain of not playing this beautiful game for my country,” he tweeted. Pathan insisted that he will continue to work hard to overcome this obstacle in his life, just like he did back in 2011 to make a return to the national team. “I worked hard and not only played cricket again but made a comeback to the India team. I have faced many obstacles in my career and life but never gave up, that’s the character I have and will possess that forever. Right now I have this obstacle in front of me but I will get through it with all the prayers and wishes coming to me. Just wanted to share this with all my fans who are still supporting me,” he said.

To all my fans 😊 pic.twitter.com/jQaMbjPNTe

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 21, 2017

In the 2016 edition of the IPL, Pathan was a part of the Rising Pune Supergiants. However, he only featured in the team’s playing XI for one match. Pathan, who played 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is for India, recently impressed with his performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament where he picked up five wickets in four matches with an economy rate of 6.28. But his poor batting record (32 runs in four games), combined with his injury-prone history, probably deterred team owners from spending money on him. The 10th season of the IPL begins on 5 April and runs until 21 May.