Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and MS Dhoni are among the first few names that come into the mind of most fans while talking about the Indian cricketers who have been mentoring and nurturing young talents over the years. A name that surprisingly doesn’t cross many minds is that of Irfan Pathan. Baroda-born Irfan is involved […]
Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and MS Dhoni are among the first few names that come into the mind of most fans while talking about the Indian cricketers who have been mentoring and nurturing young talents over the years. A name that surprisingly doesn’t cross many minds is that of Irfan Pathan.
Baroda-born Irfan is involved in the success stories of many young cricketers, in his capacity of a mentor and supporter. Among the most catching of those is Deepak Hooda’s redemption.
It was 26th of January, 2022 and for the second consecutive January in his life, Deepak Hooda found himself in the news. The previous January had him in the news for his sudden withdrawal from the SMAT 2021 following a heated spat with the team’s captain, Krunal Pandya. The move didn’t go well among the officials of Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) and he was banned from the ongoing domestic season. The ban was a hard pill to swallow for someone as attached to the sport as Deepak Hooda.
Irfan Pathan, along with his brother Yusuf, lent a helping hand and helped Hooda get back to normalcy during the unprecedented phase in his career. From getting him back to the training to boosting his confidence before the IPL, Irfan played a major role in his redemption.
Pathan brothers started accompanying him to Baroda’s famous Moti Bagh Ground, where Hooda would bat hundreds of deliveries in a single session. The focus was not solely on his batting, but on his spin-bowling too. Irfan would ask Hooda to bowl to him after the batting sessions and he would do it wholeheartedly.
Also Read – ‘My Dream Is To Play Under MS Dhoni’ – Says 23-Year-Old Indian Pacer
Cut to the present day and Hooda, after an eventful and productive year, finds himself in the Indian ODI squad for the upcoming home series against West Indies. The elation Irfan Pathan showed after the announcement was reflective of the efforts Hooda and he himself has put in, during the last year.
Recounting his experience with Irfan Pathan, Hooda told The Indian Express, “I remember Irfan Bhai telling me the importance of preparation and process. Doing the same thing over and over again, without expecting anything from anyone. So, be it the gym sessions, training at the nets and following a strict diet, I always maintained a good work ethic. It paid off.”
A left-arm pacer from Baroda, Lukman Meriwala, is yet another exciting prodigy whose journey to the top would remain incomplete without a mention of Irfan Pathan, a fellow Baroda player. Lukman couldn’t have asked for a better mentor than Irfan, a left-arm pacer himself. Ever since breaking into the senior Baroda side in 2013, he is finding himself on the receiving end of all the guidance and motivation that Irfan has been lending over these years. The instance of Irfan gifting him a pair of shoes underlines the former’s efforts to not let the young pacer suffer.
Irfan’s contribution wasn’t limited to the materialistic offerings, but also included many valuable inputs and life-changing tips. The English translation of a Hindi interaction Lukman had with India TV, goes like this: “Irfan Bhai has always helped me correct my mistakes. His advice of backing my strength and staying persistent with it has helped me a lot in evolving and improving as a cricketer.”
Imagine being a bowler, and being asked to stop his bowling and to stand in a corner after bowling just two deliveries in the trials. The demotivating story is that of Rasikh Salam, a J&K speedster. Before stopping him from bowling further, Irfan Pathan, the-then mentor of the state side, had seen the potential the young boy had in him and quickly took him under his wings.
Rasikh’s talent combined with Irfan’s backing, saw him getting fast-tracked to the state’s Vijay Hazare squad. Irfan’s belief in the youngster didn’t find a happy ending here. After the conclusion of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he personally met an official from Mumbai Indians and showed him Rasikh’s bowling videos. After this meeting, Rasikh was called to trial for the Mumbai-based franchise, and eventually, he was roped in for the 2019 season.
Also Read: ‘What are you doing?’ – Thisara Perera recalls incident with MS Dhoni while playing for Supergiants
And in the very first game of the season, the boy, who had not played a single domestic game until the last year, was given his IPL cap in front of a packed Wankhede. The dream-like turnaround in a short span of time highlights how a talented player can rise through the ranks, in the company of an excellent mentor. His further career, however, has not gone as per expectations, as he was handed a two-year ban for age fudging. But the role Irfan played and might play again in his redemption is a tutorial for how talents should be looked after and mentored.
***
These stories aren’t the only ones in Irfan’s already impressive portfolio as a mentor. Take the case of Umran Malik, who credited Irfan for helping in his bowling and jump in particular or that of Malik’s teammate, Abdul Samad attributing his rise to Irfan’s advice, one that helped him change his mindset from just a wild slogger to a more matured batter. Even Hardik Pandya, India’s premier all-rounder, had said in a 2015 interview to CricTracker that Irfan Pathan is his cricketing idol and that he has learned a lot from him.
Irfan Pathan also has an impact on many other players including the likes of Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed, and Afghanistan’s Naveen-Ul-Haq. With him still being associated with many budding cricketers, it would be interesting to see what more Irfan Pathan the mentor has in store for India’s rising cricketing talent.
Virat Kohli reveals an advice from MS Dhoni that stuck with him
