Irfan Pathan Shares How He Once Shut Down Abusive Shahid Afridi Up On Pakistani Soil

In the Indian subcontinent, Cricket has always been more than just a sport, especially when it is between India and Pakistan. The enmity between the two countries is so intense that even cricket matches are not immune to it. And this is not just limited to cricket grounds, but the relationship between the cricketers of both countries is also similar to a large extent. Among these stories, the on-field altercations and off-field interactions between Shahid Afridi of Pakistan and Irfan Pathan of India stand out as an intriguing chapter full of rivalry, pride, and banter.

Former cricketer Irfan Pathan recently narrated one such incident. He reminisced about how Shahid Afridi had once tried to misbehave with him. Nevertheless, Pathan gave him the most befitting reply, which left Afridi speechless.

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When Shahid Afridi misbehaved with Irfan Pathan

Recently, in an interview with Lallantop, former cricketer Irfan Pathan talked extensively about his rivalry with former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi. Speaking about many anecdotes, he recalled an incident in which he and Shahid Afridi got into a furious argument on a plane.

Pathan disclosed that he got into a furious dispute with Afridi during Team India’s 2006 visit to Pakistan as both sides were traveling together on the same flight from Karachi to Lahore. Going into further detail, he claimed that Afridi was the one who initiated the incident by calling him a child and tangling his hair. Speaking about the incident, Irfan Pathan said,

During the 2006 tour, we were going from Karachi to Lahore by flight. Both teams were travelling together. Afridi came and messed up my hair by putting his hand on my head. I was like, ‘Since when did you become my father?’ Afridi always behaved like a child. I was neither talking to him nor saying anything. After this, Afridi used foul language with me. His seat was next to mine.

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When Irfan Pathan hits back at Shahid Afridi’s insults in the real ‘Pathan’ way

Irfan Pathan couldn’t hold back the insult and told former Pakistani cricketer and coach Abdul Razzaq that Afridi had eaten dog meat, which is why he is barking. Speaking about this, Pathan said,

Abdul Razzaq was sitting with me then. I asked him what kind of meat is available here. He told me about the meat of different animals. After this, I asked whether dog meat is available. Razzaq was surprised to hear me and said, ‘Hey, Irfan, why are you saying this?’

Then, signalling at Shahid Afridi, Irfan Pathan added,

He (Afridi) has eaten dog meat; he has been barking for a long time. After this, Afridi could not say anything. If he said anything, I would say ‘Look, he is barking more. After this, he remained quiet for the entire flight. He understood from this incident that he would not be able to fight with me verbally. That is why he never said anything to me again.

When Irfan Pathan calls Shahid Afridi a ‘Badtameez’ being

In a previous interview with Harsha Bhogle, Shahid Afridi—who is renowned for his colorful demeanor and sharp tongue—made a harsh comment about Irfan Khan. He hinted that Irfan Pathan was not of the same ancestry as him and asserted that he was the “real Pathan.”

Pathan took this seemingly innocuous remark as an insult, and later referred to Afridi as a “badtameez aadmi” (ill-mannered guy).

Remarkably, Irfan Pathan responded to Afridi’s arrogance with the ideal cricketing response. Irfan dismissed Afridi 11 times in all forms during their international careers. Years later, Pathan still proudly cited this number.

What do you think about their rivalry? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section of this article.