Desperate Irfan keen to take help from Kapil

[Sir john]

Eager to make a comeback to Team India, Irfan Pathan has expressed his desire to train under Kapil Dev and get a few tips from the 1983 World Cup winning skipper. Irfan is also looking forward to the forthcoming domestic season to prove his worth. "It feels good to see that people are talking about me again. I have not been sitting idle and have realised now that spending time in the nets is far more important than a workout in the gym," Irfan, who is currently playing a tournament in Chandigarh, told television channel Aaj Tak. "I would also like to take help from Kapil Dev." Irfan was candid about his mistakes and said he is moving in the right direction to mend his faults. "Pace was never a problem for me, late swing was. My pace dropped after injury and I think that my action was also too mechanical." "I try to go less to the gym now and bowl more in the nets," Irfan, who reached the 100- wicket landmark in 59 ODIs, said. Kapil, meanwhile, has agreed to Pathan's request. He said that he is always ready to help any youngster. "I will be more than happy to help him and am always available to my country's bowlers," he said. Irfan has not been part of the Test team since 2008 and last played an ODI in February, 2009 in Sri Lanka. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also feels that Irfan has the talent to make a comeback. "He has the talent but I think that Indian pacers are themselves responsible for their current state. If you want to play 15 years of international cricket, then fitness has to be the key. Coaches, trainers will help you out but they (bowlers) will have to work out in the ground and can't just sit at home and dream of a comeback," Ganguly said.

[akshayxyz]

Feel sorry for Irfan...once a prodigious talent, now practically nothing.. interviews ke aagey badh hee nahi paata

[zep1706]

He can't do worse than Vinay Kumar.

[Pagalpanti]

He had decent pace, was never a 140k type bowler. If he gets his swing back he can be useful no.7 for India as it'll help us go with 4 pacers in ODI's/Test.

[gs]

Irfan is still miles ahead of the Unadkats and Vinay Kumars. I hope he can work his way back into the team again.

[Yoda-esque]

This is Irfan's golden chance.With the cupboard bare,he better make his move and quickly!

[Desi Cartman]

I remember seeing him bowl at the mcg during his debut tour, he looked great and he did bowl between 140-145 most of the time.

[Pagalpanti]

I remember seeing him bowl at the mcg during his debut tour' date=' he looked great and he did bowl between 140-145 most of the time.[/quote'] Occasionaly maybe the effort ball but I'm sure he was never consistently over 140. He was mid 130s. His main weapon was swing. This video was in vid section, pace around 130 but the late swing he got was amazing. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdt3PFngB9o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdt3PFngB9o[/ame]

[saneindian]

Irfan is currently in Chandigarh playing in the JP Atrey One Day tournament for Reliance. Hit a 100 off 66 balls and took 2/32 in one of the matches.

[Yoda-esque]

Occasionaly maybe the effort ball but I'm sure he was never consistently over 140. He was mid 130s. His main weapon was swing. This video was in vid section, pace around 130 but the late swing he got was amazing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdt3PFngB9o

I love Bill Lawry's screeching vocals:hatsoff:

[Stuge]

Irfan is currently in Chandigarh playing in the JP Atrey One Day tournament for Reliance. Hit a 100 off 66 balls and took 2/32 in one of the matches.

We need him for his bowling if he can do that ,only then he will be welcomed in the team or else he can play his cricket on mt everest .

[MCcricket]

Irfan Pathan fully fit , bowling well would be a god sent for Indian team ,he always had a good technique and is a proper bat , towards the end of IPL you could see the pace and the swing , his action looked good.he needs to perform and also be supported by people in charge, look at Sri Lanka pushing for Angelo Mathews , I am not sure how you can compare them both as all rounders as Irfan is in a different league when in full flow.He is any day better then the RP'S , KUMAR'S we have been trying, why not him atleast in one dayers where fitness and match fitness is not that big an isue.He will have to be in exemplary form I doubt Dhoni will support him , maybe now that he is handicaooed by shortage of bowlers maybe Dhoni will see the light, he will be fair to him and also as the swing bowler give him proper fields , have him open bowling also have him as attacking option, not have him bowl to 7-2 fields which is a shame.Irfan is a fighter a hardworking cricketer , has the talent , lets hope someone in charge see's the light, after all Dhoni not the best captain for bowlers , specially seamers.

[rkt.india]

I remember seeing him bowl at the mcg during his debut tour' date=' he looked great and he did bowl between 140-145 most of the time.[/quote'] no he did not bowl 140-145 ever.. he was bowling 130-140 even then mostly around 135, not more than that.

[gakgupta]

it doesn't really matter if it's 135 or 145kmph. When on prime form, he troubled the best of the batsmen including the likes of gilly and hayden. Late swing was so good to see. More importantly, he was a bowler with brains. I could still remember, he used to open his spell with a bouncer in Pakistan tour and surprise batsmen and even got few wickets. As a complete package (i mean with his batting skills) he was a gre8 asset. We can't really compare him to likes of steryn but definetly better bowler than RP and vinni koomor....anydqy

[akshayxyz]

Irfan must have pissed off someone higher up in the chain. Otherwise nothing else can justify selection of Vinay-kooomaaaars ahead of him.

[Sooda]

Irfan had hit a pretty rocky patch in terms of bowling form before he was dropped and still has ALOT to do before he can be considered for a national spot. Not sure if Kumar and the RPS of today are that much better than THAT Irfan If he has a good start to the season perhaps he can play vs WI for a BP XI, and we can see how he does

[Feed]

Kapil agrees to search for late swing of Irfan More... Kapil agrees to search for IrfanÃÔ late swing Shalini Gupta Posted: Sep 22, 2011 Chandigarh: With his prominent swing and all-round abilities, many called Irfan Pathan a Kapil-Dev-in-the making. Ironically, eight years after watching his career disintegrate, the left-armer is looking to reclaim the original Irfan in him by seeking help from Kapil himself. A day after Irfan made public his intentions to work with Kapil to find his lost swing, pace and a place in the Indian team, the 1983 World Cup winning skipper is happy to take his new student under his wings. Ūt happened during a TV show, Kapil, who is in London for a MCC fast bowling seminar, told The Indian Express. Ū said, êrfan you are welcome to spend time with me and I will give it my best shot. Aage, uski apni mehnat aur kismat hai. But what does the master feel has gone wrong with the one-time prodigy? Ūrfan would himself know what went wrong, maybe his training style wasnÃÕ in sync with how it used to be, so the injuries happened. But he has age on his side, Kapil said of the 27-year old. Ūf he shows the right intent, he can make a comeback. His strength is swing and if he works solely on it, he will get his chance to return to the big league very soon. The lad from Baroda, who has famously sought advice from Andy Roberts, Bruce Reid, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee and Wasim Akram in a desperate bid to revive his career, says he has a compelling reason to seek KapilÃÔ help. Ŭapil Dev is one of the best India has ever produced. If his inputs can uplift my cricket, then why not? Irfan, who is in Chandigarh to play in the JP Atray tournament, says he has already paid heed to KapilÃÔ advice and is training more on the field. Ū have changed my fitness module which I have been following for a long time. I spend less time in the gym and train more on the field. ThatÃÔ the way Kapil paaji wants it, he said. I was never a tearaway While many claim that Irfan dropped his pace for control, the bowler squashes those theories by saying that he was never a tearaway in the first place. Right from the beginning, I was a 130-135 kmph sort of bowler. You do not need speed to be successful, just look at Praveen Kumar in England, Irfan said. I am working on my late swing these days. If I can get it going, I will be affective again, in all conditions. Infact I would say the reason my form dipped was because I was not deriving late swing, which was my strong point. At least as far as the reasons for the downfall are concerned, Irfan is on the same page as Kapil. Now, only the rise from the ashes remains.

[vamos_rafa]

I have changed my fitness module which I have been following for a long time. I spend less time in the gym and train more on the field.

This is one thing all great fast bowlers like Wasim or Kapil mention. Good for Irfan I really hope he is able to come back.

[Tiger80]

On paper Irfan Pathan is already going to be 27 ,means real age is between 29-31.At this age he really needed come back quickly or just concentrate on T20 .He don't have much time left for test cricket

[Fontaine]

I'm really glad that Pathan has been completely out of the national team. It'll show him what he's been missing and it's all his own fault for bowling stupid variations instead of constantly working on his stock deliveries and seam position. Hopefully he gets it right and comes back to the team after he shows real improvement, not the crappy stunts he used to pull like changing his bowling action every two years and announcing his comeback.