This Pakistan fast bowler claims he ended Gautam Gambhir's white-ball career

Tags: India, Pakistan, Gautam Gambhir, Mohammad Irfan

Published on: Oct 07, 2019

In an intriguing claim, tall Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, who is currently out of favor, has boasted that he was responsible for ending former India opener Gautam Gambhir's

In an intriguing claim, tall Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, who is currently out of favor, has boasted that he was responsible for ending former India opener Gautam Gambhir's limited-overs career, and went to extent of stating that the southpaw was scared of him.

In an interview with SAMAA TV, Irfan recalled how Gambhir struggled against him during Pakistan's tour of India in 2012-13. "I think his career ended because of me. After that he never returned to the team," Irfan told SAMAA TV.

"He was getting bowled off full-length deliveries and his pull shots against my shorter balls also didn't work. He got out thrice to me on that tour," Irfan added.

"He was scared of me clearly. He wouldn't look me in the eye even in the nets. There are people who when scared avoid you, don't make eye contact and walk the other way," the pacer further claimed in the interview.

Making further tall claims about that series between India and Pakistan, Irfan, who stands 7 feet, 1 inch tall, said that the Indian players even admitted to him that they had difficulty in sighting his deliveries.

"When we played the first match, no one could sight my balls properly, they told me this themselves. Virat Kohli said to me that he thought I would bowl at slow 130-135 kmph," Irfan recalled.

Pakistan had played two-match T20I matches and three ODIs during the tour in 2012-13. While the T20 series was shared 1-1, Pakistan won the ODIs 2-1.

As for Gambhir, the second T20 against Pakistan in Ahmedabad on December 28, 2012, was his last in the shortest format. He played in just one more ODI series, against England at home in 2013. His last Test appearance was against England at Rajkot on November 2016.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

Related News