Irfan Pathan had a sensational start to international cricket when he made his debut in 2003 as a 19-year-old. In addition to his lethal bowling, he made vital contributions with the bat and was soon spoken about in the same vein as the great Kapil Dev.
But, a few years on, he lost his magic with the ball and was axed from the Indian team, sent back mid-way through the South Africa tour in December 2006.
Since then the left-armer made a few attempts at a comeback but somehow failed to seal a permanent slot in the team.
Now, after a successful season in domestic cricket, the 25-year-old all-rounder believes he is back to his best bowling form and ready to again strut his stuff on the international stage.
In an exclusive conversation with Chief Correspondent Harish Kotian, the Baroda pacer speaks about his frustration at being kept out of the national team, and declares that his next comeback will be a permanent one.
You were the leading run-scorer (397 runs at 49.62) and wicket-taker (22 wkts at 18.54) for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy. Are you satisfied with your performance in the domestic season?
I had a good performance for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy. After that I took nine wickets in the two matches in the Duleep Trophy. Overall, it was a good season, as I also made good contributions with the bat, including the crucial partnership with my brother Yusuf in the Duleep Trophy final.
At the start of the season I was not at my best, but with many matches under my belt I got better and felt I was back to my best. So, the more I play the more I will get better, in terms of getting to the level of bowling where I want to reach. But, right now, I am pretty happy with the way I am bowling.
If selected in the Indian team, what role do you see yourself performing, as an all-rounder or just a bowler?
Obviously, my first and foremost aim is as a bowler. But I am at a stage where I don't mind playing any role for the team. There was a time when I thought I might just have to bat and not get to bowl, and I was ready for that as well. But I am good with batting and bowling, so I am ready for any role the team wants me to perform.
Were you able to identify the areas that went wrong with your bowling, which saw you being dropped from the Indian team?
I don't think there was anything wrong with my bowling. As far as I remember, my last bowling in international cricket was during the Twenty20 World Cup, where I bowled two overs for nine runs; it was against Chris Gayle. I picked one wicket as well, but after that did not get to bowl my full quota of overs in that match. After that match I was dropped and not given a chance in one-dayers as well.
I don't think there was anything lacking with my bowling; I performed quite well in the limited opportunities I got. Obviously, I can't have a say in selection matters. My job is to go out and perform when selected. As far as I am concerned, I was happy with the way things were going; I think I just needed to keep playing. I thought if had kept playing more matches, things would have turned out better.
In other words, you mean to say you should have got a longer run to prove your worth. Wasn't it disappointing that after playing such a crucial role in India's first ever victory at Perth in January 2008, where you were named man of the match, you got to play just two matches before being dropped again?
I have said enough about these things and there is really no point to keep talking about it. If my performance in domestic cricket can't speak, then my words will not make a difference either. So I would rather keep quiet and just keep working on my game. It is important to keep doing your work and things will fall in place sooner or later.
As a cricketer, I feel that I need to keep playing; that is what I am doing right now -- playing as many matches as possible.
Yes, I want to comeback into the Indian team, because I love playing for the country. That is still my top aim. I am still learning my cricket, so I will try to improve and not look back and be disappointed. People will keep talking, because even they understand which cricketer deserves a chance in the team and which cricketer doesn't.
How much of an inspiration does Zaheer Khan's return serve? Even he was out of the team for a while before he made a comeback in 2006. Now he is one of the world's top fast bowlers.
He has been fantastic over the years. Every comeback is special for a cricketer, and guys like Zaheer and Sourav have made good comebacks. Even Sreesanth made a great comeback after a long lay-off.
So,you keep doing your job, you keep working on your game, and the selectors are there to watch. If they think you are ready for the job they will pick you.
As far as performance is concerned, in terms of wickets and other statistics, I have done pretty well this year. In domestic cricket I emerged as a good all-rounder and contributed both with the bat and ball.
I am working hard on making a comeback and, Inshallah, I am sure I will be back in the Indian team quite soon. I have full faith in my abilities, and in God, that it will happen soon.
How would you describe the double hundred scored by your brother Yusuf in the Duleep Trophy final that saw West Zone chase a world record 536 for victory?
It was a fantastic innings. It was one of the best I saw in domestic cricket, because of the way he played and carried himself. It was important; he had already got a hundred in the first innings, and in the second innings batting was not that easy.
It was a fifth day wicket and there were lots of cracks on the pitch and the ball was keeping low or bouncing a bit, more than normal, but Yusuf kept pushing himself. He used his big reach and applied himself pretty well. It is a big sign for him that he has matured as a cricketer.
A lot of people had tagged him as a Twenty20 specialist, but he has shown he is capable of playing big innings when needed. I always had faith in Yusuf's ability and I had no doubt in my mind that someday he would come up with a brilliant knock like this. I knew it was a matter of time before he would come good with the bat.
With such a destructive innings he proved that on his day he can win a match on his own. It shows that he has aggression, sense of calmness and matured as a cricketer. It was unbelievable. I am sure people will remember this innings for a long time.
How do you brothers motivate yourself after being dropped from the team?
We talk about a lot of things when we are free at home. We both play cricket and know that every cricketer goes through a bad phase in his life. We have faith in our abilities and know that we will be in the team soon. There are a lot of opportunities for cricketers nowadays in domestic cricket and then in the IPL, so we know that if we keep performing we will comeback into the Indian team.
Having seen so many ups and downs, what lessons have you learnt as a cricketer and human being?
There are a lot of lessons you learn when you go through tough times. I believe that every cricketer goes through such times, but they make you stronger. You learn a lot from failure... like how to deal with particular situation, not only in sport, but in life too. You come across situations when nothing is working for you and fight your way out of it. One thing is sure: this experience has made me a better person, made me stronger.
When you came into international cricket you were an instant hit. Many former players, like Wasim Akram, came forward to help you. But since being dropped from the Indian team has anyone offered help?
Right now I am working on my own. I came into international cricket because I trusted my ability; even now, I am doing the same. But I still respect the coaches I have worked with, like Mehdi Shaikh, Bashir Shaikh, T A Sekhar, Dennis Lillee and a few other people. Wasim Akram gave me some tips, which also helped. Now I am keeping my mind open; when I get any tips from anyone I keep it in mind. At the same time, I also try and reflect on how I used to bowl at my best and go through the videos. I am doing a lot of analysis on my bowling so that I can get my rhythm back. It is helping a lot.
