Irfan Pathan Profile - INDIA

Full name Irfan Khan Pathan
Born October 27, 1984, Baroda, Gujarat
Current age 24 years 213 days
Major teams India, Baroda, Kings XI Punjab, Middlesex
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Left-arm medium-fast
Relations Half-brother - YK Pathan

Profile:-

Irfan Khan Pathan was considered by many, with reason, as the most talented swing and seam bowler to emerge from India since Kapil Dev. Within a couple of years in international cricket, he was thought of as a possible successor for Kapil in the allround department. When he made his Test debut in Australia in 2003-04, it was with the energy of a 19-year-old, but a composed nous that was striking even for one who had been specifically readied for the purpose via the A-team and age-group channels. His instinct is not merely what to bowl to who and when, but also to keep learning new tricks. He played a big part in India's one-day and the Test series wins on their revival tour of Pakistan. His batting soon took off and he was regularly pushed up the order - his first stint at No.3 resulted in a spectacular 83 against Sri Lanka at Nagpur - and he often bailed India out of strife in the Test arena as well. His bowling form, though, nosedived in 2006, and he struggled to make it to both the Test and ODI teams when the year ended, becoming the first Indian player to be sent back from a tour (South Africa) to concentrate on domestic cricket. He did make it to the World Cup squad but didn't figure in a single game during India's disappointing campaign, after which he was dropped from both the Test and one-day sides. Recalled to the side for the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in September 2007, Pathan did not disappoint, snapping up 10 wickets at 14.90. His crucial spell of 3 for 16 in the final against Pakistan earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.

Pathan returned to the ODI side for the home series against Australia and Pakistan, and showed he had rediscovered his bowling rhythm, based on which he was handed a recall in the third Test against Pakistan in Bangalore. His celebrated his comeback to the Test team after 19 months by making his first Test hundred. Pathan was subsequently picked for the Test series in Australia, but was benched for the first two matches. He was brought in for the Perth Test, where he played a crucial part in India's famous win - with scores of 28 and 46 and five wickets to claim the Man-of-the-Match award.

Irfan Khan (Hindi: इरफ़ान ख़ान on October 27, 1984 in Baroda, Gujarat, India) is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian national cricket team since late 2003. Beginning his career as a left-arm fast-medium swing bowler (evoking comparisons with Pakistan's Wasim Akram), Pathan improved his batting skills to become a bowling allrounder, even opening the batting on occasions. This led to critics comparing him with former Indian allrounder Kapil Dev.The improvement in his batting also coincided in a steady loss of pace and bowling form. After opening both the batting and bowling in late 2005 and early 2006, Pathan was dropped from the team in both Test and One Day International (ODI) forms of the game by the end of 2006 and by 2007 was no longer in the squad. He returned to international cricket in September 2007 for the inaugural World Twenty20, where he took three wickets and was man of the match as India beat Pakistan in the final.

Early years

Pathan grew up with his half-brother Yusuf in a mosque in Baroda, in an impoverished family. His father served as the muezzin. Although their parents wished them to become Islamic scholars, Pathan and his brother took an interest in cricket. Their games on the grounds off and inside the mosque often necessitated apologies from their father to Muslim worshippers who visited it. In the beginning his deliveries did not reach the other end of the cricket pitch, but rigorous six-hour training sessions in blazing heat and his family's sense of discipline saw him progress steadily. Under the guidance of former Indian captain Datta Gaekwad, Pathan rose to get selected in the Under-14 Baroda cricket team, and when he was selected at Under-15 level to represent Baroda in a national tournament, he was finally presented with a full set of cricket equipment, having before been restricted to second-hand gear due to his family's limited economic means.

Pathan made his first-class debut in the 2000–01 season, after fellow left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan was selected for the national team, helping Baroda to win the Ranji Trophy. This saw Baroda qualify for the following Irani Trophy, where Pathan's performance reminded V. V. S. Laxman of Zaheer. Pathan further honed his bowling at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, after being referred by Indian selector Kiran More.In early 2002, he was selected for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, where he took six wickets.In 2003 he was selected for the India A team which travelled to England and played in the domestic Challenger Series.

In late 2003, he was selected for the India Under-19 team to compete in an Asian ODI competition in Pakistan, where he was the leading bowler with 18 wickets. This was more than twice that of the second leading wicket-taker. His bowling average of 7.38 was also the best of the tournament and he was named as the player of the tournament.Pathan was featured on the headlines when he claimed 9/16 against Bangladesh and helped India to emerge victorious over Sri Lanka in the final, taking 3/33.This resulted in him being selected for the Indian national squad for the 2003–04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.