Irfan Pathan: A mountain amidst mounds of clay

Irfan Pathan receives unparalleled respect from Jammu & Kashmir cricketers. The people love him too. The opening day of J&K’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinal clash against Karnataka was delayed due to bad weather and Irfan hit the ground for a small session of tennis ball cricket much to the delight of the college crowd at the Gandhi Memorial Science College here.

The former India all-rounder’s dream of two years has come alive. Pathan, who first played for J&K in the 2018-19 season, is the team’s mentor now. Handling limited facilities and showing great courage and belief amid the political unrest in the valley, he has guided minnows to a remarkable season.

After narrowly missing out on a knockout berth in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, J&K have made the quarterfinal of Ranji Trophy for the third time ever.

In a free-wheeling chat, the 35-year-old spoke about the talent in J&K, the experience of being the team’s mentor, on scouting talents from districts and the future of the team. Excerpts:

To play and mentor a team like J&K that lacks the best of facilities isn’t easy. How has been the experience?

It’s been a great experience. I never thought I will be able to manage so many things, first as a player and then as a mentor. It’s not that there are just players from Jammu in the squad. We had players from many districts. At one point, for over a month, I had 200 players under me. When you come to a new place, especially a place like this where there is a lot of conflict involved, to manage everything is challenging. But it’s also an experience that I will remember forever.

What was the mindset of the players when you first spoke to them?

I had a lot of one-on-one sessions. What I realised from them is that they didn’t worry about the team so much. Most of them wanted to grow only as individuals. I had to make them understand that if we qualify for the knockouts, the whole country is going to talk about us. That’s what has happened now. I also found out that there were some selfish players. I immediately brought in a process that allowed only team players to survive in the squad.

The law and order situation in J&K ahead of the season put the team’s preparations in tatters. How did you handle it?

Mai ek pahaad hoon (I am a mountain). I have seen so many difficulties, have played for so long so I know how to face tough phases. Not once was I worried. Even my family was here when there was curfew. Not just me but even the players have shown great mental strength. To miss one whole month of preparation and then play like they have in this Ranji Trophy is amazing.

How do you see the future of J&K

There is immense talent in J&K. We are trying to bring new things here. Right now, we are planning to get more turf wickets in districts. I have proposed a plan for more two-day tournaments. It’s not enough to just play T20I cricket. The last two seasons have produced many exciting prospects like Aquib Nabi, Abdul Samad and Mujtaba Yousaf. All they need is proper guidance. They could be the future of J&K.