The introduction of Irfan Pathan for India under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly during the 2003-04 tour of Australia is still remembered as one of the most promising beginnings for a young man in Indian cricket. At the age of just 19, Irfan Pathan impressed everyone with his deadly swing bowling and solid batting skills.
The fearless attitude of the left -arm semen and the ability to swing the ball both and contribute to the bat hoped India that their long discovery for a real all -rounder finally ended. But Pathan was not originally in plans for Sourav Ganguly’s Australia Tour.
When Sourav Ganguly rejected Irfan Pathan for Australia Tour, but the same teenage star proved him wrong
In a video shared by Sony Sports Network on X, Pathan revealed that Ganguly dismissed the 19 -year -old for Australia’s difficult tour during the selection meeting.
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But the Indian selectors were firm on their calls, and the former captain was to take the young Pathan back down in 2003.
The former Indian all -rounder revealed that he went to Australia as a replacement of mythological pacery Jawagal Srinath behind his remarkable performances in the under -19 and domestic cricket, both in Dalip Trophy and first -class cricket.
The support of selectors forced Sourav Ganguly to take Irfan Pathan on Australia Tour
Two years before the start of his India, Baroda Star dominated domestic cricket. He took 90 wickets in first -class matches and took 40 wickets in two sessions in the Dalip Trophy. And then he was the highest wicket for India’s U-19 on a tour of Pakistan.
His continuity, skill and strong performance in both domestic and U19 cricket assured the National Selection Committee that it was ready to shine on the international stage, but Ganguly has flatly rejected the idea of ​​choosing Irfan for Australia Tour.
The commentator further revealed that it was Ganguly who himself told him that he did not want to take a young man directly on a difficult tour like Australia from the U19 setup. But the selectors were firm, and Irfan made it for the squad, and the rest has history.
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Irfan Pathan hurts great leader Sourav Ganguly
Irfan Pathan said on the Sony Sports Network, “After the end of the tour, Dada came to me. He said,” Irfan, in fact, I didn’t want you to come on this tour. And there is a reason for it. You listen to me before reacting. ” I said, yes, say this.
Then Dada said, “When I saw your bowling, I was confident and felt that I was wrong.” As an Indian captain, to say something to the U19 boy who is a successful Indian captain, a big thing. So, the relationship with Dada is special. I accepted his mistake with me. This is a big deal. Not everyone says this. So, this was a sign of a great leader. ,
Irfan Pathan recalled his debut and an honest conversation with Sourav Ganguly, after which #SonySportsnetwork #GRONDUMAHARAJEETHAMARI #ENGVIND #Nayaindia #Dhaakadindia #Teamindia pic.twitter.com/ymibokwqry
– Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsnetwk) June 22, 2025
In particular, India played four Tests on Australia’s 2003-04 Test tour, but Pathan got only two Tests to play, and he took four wickets. India and Australia won one Test, while two games ended in a draw, and both teams shared the trophy.
Later, Pathan performed his ODI for India in the Tri-Nation tournament against Australia and Zimbabwe, where he was to take a major wicket with 16 wickets at an average of 31.
