5 promising Indian cricketers who had an unceremonious end to their career

#4 Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan was one of India's best seam bowlers

This blue-eyed man from Baroda whose name often resonates with the word ‘swing’ arrived to the international cricket scene like a thunderstorm but went like the wind. Averaging 32 with both bat & ball in Tests, Irfan Pathan was a key contributor. Although his average in ODIs was lesser at 23 with the bat and 29 with the ball, Irfan's talent was way above his numbers.

Irfan kicked open the gates of Indian cricket team after performing well with his left-arm seam bowling in the under-19 and the First Class level. Playing his first match against Australia at a tender age of 19, Pathan couldn't prove his mettle picking just 1 wicket and giving away runs at the rate of five per over. His career was filled with crests and troughs.

Pathan's substantial swing bowling in the year 2004 troubled batsman of higher dexterity as he ended the year with 32 Test and 47 ODI wickets. Picking up 18 wickets in two tests against Bangladesh, he was adjudged the Emerging Player of the year by ICC.

Chappell-Dravid era saw him getting groomed as a batsman. Often promoted up the order, his careful batting approach often was a boon for India. His remarkable stint against Pakistan in the 2005-06 test series saw him notching a 210-run partnership with MS Dhoni in the second test. In the following match, Pathan took a hat-trick in the very first over picking up the wickets of Salman Butt, Younis Khan, and Mohammed Yousuf. This made people compare him to the Indian legend Kapil Dev.

It seemed as if the quest for a seaming all-rounder since Kapil Dev's retirement had come to an end but the fall of 2006 saw a dip in his form and his confidence crumbled. Injuries continued to haunt him as he made comebacks, but the world couldn't see the vintage Irfan Pathan again.