IPL 2017: Greg Chappell Did Not Ruin My Career, Injuries Did, Says Irfan Pathan

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan's wait in the wilderness came to an end when beleaguered Gujarat Lions (GL) signed the Baroda all-rounder as Dwayne Bravo's replacement. Irfan, who at one stage was one of the most popular cricketers in India, did not find a buyer in the Indian Premier League 2017 Auction in spite of coming under the hammer twice. Talking about his career, Pathan on Wednesday said former India coach Greg Chappell did not ruin his career by making technical changes and blamed injuries for losing his place in the Indian team. "Nothing of that sort happened. I know a lot of people said Greg Chappell ruined my career which is not true. No one can ruin anyone's career. What you need to do, you need to do. You alone are responsible for what you do," said Pathan.

"When I was dropped from the team I was unfortunately injured. After that making a comeback was a bit difficult. I don't blame anyone," he told reporters ahead of IPL encounter between RCB and Gujarat Lions on Thursday.

Pathan has been brought in as a replacement for Dwayne Bravo, who was ruled out of IPL 10 with a hamstring injury.

"It is wonderful to be here. Yes, but it is disappointing when you not get picked, initially. If you get picked even if you are in the middle or fag end of the tournament you feel good, hopefully, I will get the opportunity and do well," he said.

Once touted as one of the best allrounders, Pathan was plagued by injuries and found it difficult to get a place in the Indian squad. However, the 32-year-old said he doesn't want to look back into the past.

"The best thing what a sportsman can do is to look forward and not look back too much, and that is when you go wrong. I know my international and domestic experience will help me perform well. Yeah, at the moment I am very happy to be playing for Gujarat Lions," he said.

Asked was there any pressure on him when he was compared to 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, Pathan said: "Kapil Dev has been in a different league altogether when it comes to all-rounders. I don't know anyone can fill his shoes.

"People have compared me to him, but it did not affect me. But as a youngster you like the comparison, which gives you the confidence to do better," he said.

Pathan said he had to change his bowling action due to a back problem but now he has gone back to his old action and is satisfied with the swing he is generating.

"When I was working with TA Shekhar - that time I had back problem. So, I changed my action, and that actually put less pressure on my back," he said.

"Now I have gone back to my own action and hopefully the swing is coming out of the hand very nicely. I will improve by playing more matches," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)