Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has retired from all forms of cricket, Indian media reported on Saturday.
Pathan, 35, started his career in 2003 and at the time was deemed a generational talent, once even compared to the great Pakistani all-rounder great Wasim Akram.
He was an important member of the Indian squad that won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, which included a match-winning three-for in the final against Pakistan.
His finest hours, in both ODIs and Test cricket, came against Pakistan, including the aforementioned final performance as well as a first-over hat-trick against the arch-rivals in Karachi in 2006.
Although primarily picked as a bowler, Pathan also steadily improved his batting skills and at one point was the world's second-ranked all-rounder.
However, Pathan inexplicably started losing his pace even before the supposed prime of his career. With that went his wicket-taking ability as batsmen found it easy to plunder his overs at the international level.
By the late 2000s, his career at the top was all but over. He was given another opportunity in the ODIs due to his strong performances in the Indian domestic circuit but he could not extend his career for India beyond that.
Pathan played his last T20I for India in Oct 2012.
from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/39I71Pg
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