“I don't have a habit of setting up hookah..”- Irfan Pathan’s brutal dig at MS Dhoni resurfaces on internet
An old video clip of former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan taking a dig at MS Dhoni has resurfaced on the internet. In the video clip, Pathan seemed to be unhappy with MS Dhoni’s remark about his performance during the Commonwealth Bank series in 2008. MS Dhoni said in the media that Irfan Pathan didn’t bowl well in the series. However, when he asked about the same to the then Indian captain, the latter downplayed it, stating that ‘everything is going as per plans’.
"Yes, I asked him. During the 2008 Australia series, Mahi bhai's statement came out in the media that Irfan wasn't bowling well. So I thought I had bowled well throughout the series, so I went and asked Mahi bhai about this. Sometimes, the statements are twisted in the media, so I also wanted to clarify. So Mahi bhai said, 'no Irfan, there is nothing like this, everything's going as per plans.' When you get a reply like this, then you believe that okay, you do what you can. Also if you keep asking for explanations again and again after that, you hurt your self-respect," Pathan can be heard saying in the viral clip.
Irfan Pathan was the second-highest taker for India in the CB Series in 2008, only behind Ishant Sharma. He picked up 11 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 34.18. Ishant Sharma picked 14 wickets in 9 games at an average of 20.42, while the highest wicket-taker, Nathan Bracken picked 21 wickets in 11 matches at 16.52. He was followed by Brett Lee with 16 wickets in 8 games at 22.25.
“I don't have a habit of setting up hookah in someone's room”- Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan was sidelined from India’s scheme of things despite picking a five-wicket haul in his last ODI match. The former Indian all-rounder has often expressed his displeasure over his exit from the India team and considers himself among the unfortunate ones who weren’t backed enough. In the same video clip, Irfan Pathan also took a brutal dig at the 2011 World Cup-winning captain, stating that “he doesn’t have the habit of setting up hookah in someone’s room.”
"I don't have a habit of setting up hookah in someone's room or talking about this. Everyone knows. Sometimes, if you don't speak about it, it's better. A cricketer's job is to perform on the field and that is what I used to focus on," he said.
Irfan Pathan burst onto the scene as an exciting all-rounder who can swing the ball both ways and can bat lower down the order as well. His Test hat-trick in Pakistan and match-winning performance in the 2007 T20 World Cup final are some of the most memorable performances of his career. Irfan Pathan represented India in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20 internationals.
He ended his international career with 301 wickets across formats.
