Irfan Pathan expresses interest in head coach role, says coaching excites him

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed his interest in coaching the national team in the future. Pathan hasn’t yet been involved in any coaching role but played a key role in helping players rise through the ranks at Baroda.

Pathan had played an instrumental role in India’s T20 World Cup 2007 triumph, returning with impressive figures of 3-16 in the all-important final against Pakistan.

Pathan certainly has the experience at the big stage and he can get the best out of the players.

Speaking to RevSportz, Pathan said when asked about the coaching role, “Oh yes, definitely, because I like seeing growth happen. Sitting back and watching growth happen, being involved in that, is something that gives me a lot of fun.”

During his career, spanning from 2003 to 2012, Pathan played under the coaching of John Wright, Greg Chappell, and Gary Kirsten. Pathan picked Wright as his best coach at the top level and said he learned a lot from the New Zealander.

“I would like to share something here, that I really liked the coaching style of John Wright. When I first came into the Indian team, he used to work very hard, keep everyone very tight, get involved a lot amongst other things. I have seen better in technical terms of coaching, but his style is something else,” he said.

“It was all about the players, managing everything from behind. That whole thing used to give me a lot of excitement. So, yes, in the future, when the time comes, why not? It will happen for sure,” he added.

Under John Wright’s tutelage, India qualified for the final of the 2003 ODI World Cup but could not cross the final hurdle against Australia.

On the other hand, Pathan picked Arshdeep Singh as India’s number one white-ball bowler and added that Khaleel Ahmed is also improving with time. 

“Arshdeep (Singh) is our No. 1 bowler in white-ball cricket and there is no doubt about it. But after Arshdeep, if we must talk about someone who has the skill – and as a left-arm fast bowler, you need a few things like the ability to bowl around the speed of 135-140 (kmph), swing the ball both ways, bowl bouncers – Khaleel ticks all these boxes, and is now improving more,” said Pathan.

“He has improved his slow bouncer, his seam position is better, and he has improved his fitness as well. So, he has all the potential to play at his peak, which is right now, and the next 4-5 years. It’s all about being in the right place, at the right time, and performing in crucial situations. He had a really good season with CSK and being there as well does help. Hopefully, he’ll be able to make it really big within the next 5 to 6 years.”

Arshdeep will be seen in action in the upcoming Asia Cup whereas Khaleel is playing for Central Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy.