The India-Pakistan rivalry has never lacked drama, and
Irfan Pathan has now added fresh fuel to the fire with a sensational recollection of his battles with former Pakistan captain
Shahid Afridi. Speaking candidly, Pathan revisited the fiery exchanges that often spilled beyond cricket, recalling Afridi’s controversial jibes, including his bizarre claim of having eaten dog meat.
The former India allrounder, who dismissed Afridi 11 times in international cricket, revealed how those remarks stoked his determination every time he faced the flamboyant Pakistani.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!During the 2006 tour, while travelling by flight from Karachi to Lahore with both teams on board, Shahid Afridi and Irfan Pathan were involved in a heated exchange.
"Abdul Razzaq was sitting with me then. I asked him what kind of meat is available here. He told me about the different kinds of meat. Then I asked if dog meat was available. Afridi was sitting right there. Razzaq was shocked to hear this and said, 'Hey Irfan, why are you saying this?'" Pathan said on Lallantop.
"I said, 'He (Afridi) has eaten dog meat, he has been barking for a long time.'
"After that, Afridi couldn’t say anything. Whatever he might have said, I would have just replied, 'Look, he is barking again.' After this, he remained silent throughout the flight.
"From this incident, he understood that he could not win against me verbally. That’s why he never said anything to me again," he added.
Pathan, who had immense success against Pakistan in his career — taking 67 wickets and scoring 807 runs, including a century — revealed what led to the verbal altercation.
"Afridi came and placed his hand on my head, messing up my hair. He asked me, 'How are you, kid?' I said, 'Since when have you become my father?' The childish behaviour was actually his. He was not my friend. After that, Afridi said some abusive words to me. His seat was right next to mine," he recollected.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment