Paceman Irfan Pathan feels that he has the necessary arsenal to regain his place in the Indian team with the C... Read More

MUMBAI: Comebacks seem to be the key word in the life of all-rounder Irfan Pathan . Be it injuries, losing his pace to undue focus on batting or plain dip in form, Pathan has seen it all. Watch IPL Videos Despite having picked just six wickets from nine games in the ongoing Twenty20 League, the Delhi Daredevils bowler feels that he has the necessary arsenal to regain his place in the Indian team with the Champions Trophy squad to be picked on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Baroda lad, in an exclusive chat with TOI, spoke about a plethora of topics including batting up the order for Delhi, his advice to misfiring brother Yusuf and the vanishing tribe of left-arm seamers in the Indian team. Excerpts:

It's been a bowlers' tournament so far. Makes you feel happy about it?

Initially when the tournament started it was indeed in favour of the bowlers but since the last week or so it has started to bend towards the batsmen. Especially (Chris) Gayle's brutal assault and Mumbai Indians ' 200-plus totals have shown that batsmen too have come to the party. They have started to acclimatize to the conditions and exploiting it with both hands now.

You and Praveen are the only bowlers to have recorded three maidens. That's a big statement in favour of swing bowlers.

I didn't know only two of us have bowled maidens in the event till now. In the T20 format, where being economical is the key, maidens are vital to the team's winning prospects. As a swing bowler I know that the batsmen too get careful while playing our deliveries. They take lesser chances to hit out of the park, which helps our cause.

Is it tough to play for a team that's losing more than winning?

No one wants to see their team lose. It's not a good feeling. Fortunately the team owners and the support staff have never put any pressure on us and have always backed us, so the team environment good. We have a decent group with players like (Virender) Sehwag and (David) Warner, so we will try our best to win the remaining seven matches.

Can Delhi still make the play-offs?

Ummeed pe duniya kayam hai. Throughout my career I have been a big believer whatever the circumstances may be. The way we thrashed Mumbai and won our last game against Pune Warriors in Raipur , I am sure if we keep that momentum we can win the next set of matches. In a realistic world, no one will give us a chance but sport is played with hope and belief. So we will try and win 3 to 4 games in a row, which will definitely boost our confidence. After that inshallah anything is possible.

Are you happy with the pace and rhythm at which you are bowling now?

Absolutely. The way I bowled in the last game against Pune I think I am getting back into my rhythm. The knee injury during the Ranji Trophy did take away crucial 3-4 months of my comeback time but I am bowling perfectly fine now. My pace is going up and the three maidens that I have bowled in this event only shows that I need to improve on my wicket-tally.

Yusuf Pathan has not been the player for KKR as he was for Rajasthan Royals , what could be the possible reason?

I have always tried to give him whatever positive feedback I can. It's just a matter of utilizing the opportunities that come your way. The more the opportunities, more chances to succeed, that's what I tell him. It's not that he has played very poorly. But he has not been able to convert good starts into big scores like the way he slammed 19 off five balls against Mumbai.

You think your batting has been under utilized especially in T20? Could you have opened?

I have the confidence to bat at any position up or down the order. But I have always kept the team before myself and if the team management or coach ( Eric Simons ) feels they would like me to open the innings I am ready for it. If you have a look at the players who have scored big in the T20 league, you'll find most of them are either opening the innings or batting up the order. So, anybody will like to have that chance.

Virat said a few things about the Wankhede crowd. Did you ever have an issue playing there or at any other venue in India?

In my opinion, one can't blame the crowd. I can't comment on what Virat went through. I too have faced that kind of situation many times but I like to think that if one guy does it why blame the crowd.

How do you bowl at someone like Chris Gayle? What would be your tactic?

He's the most explosive batsman in the league , so one does need to think of a way to curb his stroke-making. Gayle is someone who doesn't play a late cut or a reverse sweep, he plays to his strength. That's what every bowler - whether a seamer, a length bowler or a spinner - should bowl to him according to their strength and execute their plans well. In that case, I don't see any reason why he can't be stopped.

You have now played under Yuvi, Sanga, Sehwag and Mahela. How do you rate them as captains?

All of them are different the way they approach a match. I have been lucky to have them as captains. I became one of those few players to accumulate a double of 1000 runs and 50-plus wickets in the T20 tournament playing under them.

With Bhuvi too in the fray now as a swing bowler, does that put more pressure on you to make a comeback?

As any cricketer my aim is to play for India. I have the ability to bowl with both new ball and old balls and also in death overs and powerplays. I know there are guys like Bhuvi who are doing well but I don't feel any pressure due to that. I have faith in my abilities and before I got injured I collected a Man of the Match award in the final ODI against Sri Lanka at Pallekele where I picked five wickets (5-61). I also put up a 90-run stand with Suresh Raina in a winning cause against Lanka in the third ODI in Colombo last year. I have always tried to do my bit for the team and with my form improving I am confident to give my best again.

There was a time when Team India had four left-arm seamers - Ashish Nehra , Zaheer Khan , RP Singh and you. But of late their names have vanished from the team sheets for one reason or the other…

We players have a short memory. Injuries and loss of form have taken a toll on everyone of them including me. It was indeed a big thing. 15 saal agar koi khele toh jaanega ke poori zindagi ek ya doosre fight mein nikal jaati hai - fight for a spot in the team, fight injury and then fight for a comeback… Fighting has been a habit for me now. Even someone of the reputation of (Glenn) McGrath went through a lean patch so we are no different.

How do you see the game against KKR?

The team is fit, injury-free. We are working really hard and the previous losses have not affected the way we train. One does tend to lose focus or interest after a flurry of defeats but thankfully we are still motivated and Raipur has proved lucky for us. Initially we were unable to defend even a total like 130 but in the previous game we've showed that we can defend something like 165, which is a good sign. So am looking forward to it.

Is there a danger now of seeing Irfan Pathan as only a limited-overs specialist. You must be desperate to play Tests again?

Eventually I want to play Tests. My form is continuously getting better and better and my confidence is high. Three years back people had said that I will never return to the Indian team but I proved them wrong. Whoever has branded me as a limited-overs guy, I am confident I will have the last laugh against him.

