Greg Chappell didn’t spoil my career, he’s made a punching bag: Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan, the former Indian cricketer, said that Greg Chappell didn’t spoil his career. The southpaw reckons that Chappell, the then head coach, was being made a punching bag, being a foreigner. The legendary Aussie batsman had a controversial stint with Team India, especially due to his tussle with Sourav Ganguly and India’s early exit from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

As for Pathan, he emerged as one of India’s most promising all-rounders in 2003. He made his debut in Australia and ruffled the feathers of some of the best in the business. Later on, his prowess with the bat in hand also came to the fore. He was also the Player of the Match in the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup against Pakistan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

However, gradually his career saw a downward trend and on August 2012, he donned the national colours for the last time at the age of 27. Irfan, who retired from the game earlier this year in January, said that Sachin Tendulkar gave the idea of sending him at number three, not Chappell.

It’s not true that Chappell spoiled my career, says Irfan Pathan

“I had said this after I had announced my retirement as well. Those who talk about Greg Chappell spoiling my career, by sending me as an allrounder at No.3 and all these things… actually, it was Sachin paaji’s idea,” Pathan told to Raunak Kapoor on his channel Beyond The Field.

“He advised Rahul Dravid to send me at No.3. He said ‘he (Irfan) has the power to hit sixes, can take on the new ball and can play the fast bowlers well too,” he stated.

Pathan batted at three for the first time against Sri Lanka in the 2005 series in Nagpur. There he scored 83 off 70 balls, guiding India to a victory by 152 runs at the VCA Stadium.

“It was tried for the first time in the series against Sri Lanka when Muralitharan was at his peak, and the idea was to attack him as well. It’s not true that Greg Chappell spoiled my career. Since he was not from India, it is easier to make him a punching bag,” Pathan added.