Former Team India all-rounder and current J&K Ranji trophy side mentor Irfan Pathan has said that it is wrong to blame Australian coach Greg Chappell for ruining his career by emphasising on to make him top order batsman.
Irfan Pathan has said that it was not controversial coach Chappell who promoted him as batsman rather it’s was the idea of batting Icon Sachin Tendulkar to promote Pathan as batsman.
“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. 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,” Pathan told Raunak Kapoor on his channel Beyond The Field.
“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. [Dilhara] Fernando back then had started the concept of the split-finger slower ball. Batsmen didn’t understand that too well, so the belief was if I could pull it off, it could work in our favour, especially since it was the first match of the series. 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 said.
