Former India pacer Irfan Pathan has made a sensational revelation regarding former captain Sourav Ganguly. Pathan made his Test and ODI debut on the 2003-04 tour of Australia, but Ganguly wasn’t keen on having the Baroda cricketer in the squad initially.
Speaking on Sports Tak, Irfan Pathan recalled that Ganguly was afraid of playing Pathan his maiden international tour against the mighty Aussies in their own backyard, and had also denied taking the pacer in the selection meeting.
But, Ganguly’s mind was changed when he watched Irfan Pathan bowl before the tour which convinced the captain that the youngster would perform well even in Australia.
“I remember Dada told me that ‘Irfan you know that I did not want to take you to Australia. I refused to take you to the selection committee meeting’,” Pathan told Sports Tak.
“‘Because I did not want to take the 19-year-old boy on this difficult tour, but when I saw you, I was convinced that you would perform well’,” Irfan recalled Ganguly’s words.
He then made his Test debut in the memorable Adelaide Test, where India defeated the hosts by 4 wickets. He’d also make his ODI debut on that tour.
The 37-year-old lauded Ganguly for the support he’d given to him and other talented youngsters of his generation. He asserted that the former skipper would give full backing to any player who worked hard and always gave their best for the team’s cause.
“Sourav Ganguly supported me a lot. Dada supported me throughout my career. If Ganguly felt that a cricketer is giving the best for the team, he used to support him,” Pathan concluded.
Irfan Pathan retired with 301 international wickets and 2821 runs. He played a crucial role in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph. Pathan entered into commentary field post retirement from international cricket while Ganguly is the current BCCI President.
