Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shared insights into his intense rivalry with Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, a contest that went beyond the cricket field and sometimes became personal. Pathan, who had great success against Pakistan during his international career, took 67 wickets and scored 807 runs against them, including a century. An interesting fact is that he dismissed Afridi 11 times across formats, including a golden duck in the iconic 2007 T20 World Cup final. In an interview with The Lallantop, Pathan explained how the rivalry became personal and later served as motivation in his cricketing journey. What Irfan Pathan Said About Shahid Afridi? “Dismissed him 11 times. I have a different kind of fight with him [Afridi] because when I was new and young in the team… there was an interview of Afridi with Harsha Bhogle,” Pathan said. “Afridi had said, ‘I am the real Pathan, he is a fake Pathan’. Badtameez aadmi hai (He is ill-mannered). Mujhe laga ki aap sirf mere baare mein nahi bol rahe ho, mere waalid ke baare mein bhi baat kar rahe, jo aapko nahi karna chahiye tha. (I felt he was taking not only about me but my father too, which he should not have done),” Irfan Pathan said. “Toh jab jab mere haath mein ball tha, mere dimaag mein tha ki isko toh main out kar dunga (When I had the ball in hand, the thought in my head was that I would dismiss him). Aur maine usko gyara baar out karke dikha diya ki asli Pathan kaun hai (I have shown him, who the real ‘Pathan’ is as I got him out 11 times). Aur bade bade maukon par out kiya hai — series decider mein, World Cup final mein (I have dismissed him on important occasions – in series decider, in the World Cup final),” Pathan added. The rivalry was not confined to the cricket pitch. Pathan remembered a heated incident during India’s 2006 tour of Pakistan, while travelling by flight from Karachi to Lahore. Afridi playfully ruffled Pathan’s hair, asking, “How are you kid?” to which Pathan retorted, “Since when have you become my father?” The light banter quickly escalated into a verbal exchange. Pathan revealed how he turned the situation around with a sharp comeback: “I said, ‘He (Afridi) has eaten dog meat, he has been barking for a long time.’ From then on, whatever he said, I would reply, ‘Look, he is barking again.’ That’s when he realised he could never beat me verbally.” For Pathan, Afridi’s words may have been disrespectful, but he believes his on-field performances were the best response. “I showed him who the real Pathan is — not once, but 11 times,” he added.