Shahid Afridi placed on the same pedestal as a DOG by Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan recently recalled a memorable incident with former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi during a flight. Pathan revealed that he had asked Abdul Razzaq about the availability of dog meat and added that he teased Afridi by saying his “barking” was because he had eaten it.

Irfan Pathan had rivalries with Shahid Afridi on the field during his playing days. Pathan got the upper hand in the 2007 T20 World Cup final, where he dismissed Afridi for a golden duck. He took 67 wickets and scored 807 runs, including a memorable century, across formats against the neighboring nation.

I Said, “Since When Have You Become My Father?” - Irfan Pathan

India and Pakistan were on the same flight from Karachi to Lahore, which led to an exchange between Irfan Pathan and Shahid Afridi. The former Pakistan skipper reportedly provoked Pathan by messing up his hair and calling him “kid.”

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"During the 2006 tour, we were travelling by flight from Karachi to Lahore. Both teams were travelling together. Afridi came and placed his hand on my head, messing up my hair. He asked me, "How are you kid?" I said, "Since when have you become my father?". The childish behaviour was actually his. He was not my friend. After that, Afridi said some abusive words to me. His seat was right next to mine," Pathan said on Lallantop.

I Said, “Shahid Afridi Has Eaten Dog Meat” - Irfan Pathan

Pathan stated that he asked teammate Abdul Razzaq about the types of meat available in Pakistan. When Razzaq reacted in surprise, Pathan said that Shahid Afridi’s “barking” was because he had eaten dog meat.

“Abdul Razzaq was sitting with me, and I asked about the type of meat available here. He told me about it. Then I asked if dog meat was also available. Abdul Razzaq was surprised and asked about the reason,” Pathan further added.

“I said, "He (Shahid Afridi) has eaten dog meat, he has been barking for a long time" After that, Afridi couldn’t say anything. Whatever he might have said, I would have just said, 'Look, he is barking again.' After this, he remained silent throughout the flight. From this incident, he understood that he could not win against me verbally. That’s why he never said anything to me again,” he concluded.

Irfan Pathan’s Journey from a 19-Year-Old Cricket Prodigy to a Veteran Commentator

Irfan Pathan entered the international cricket scene as a 19-year-old. He was compared to Kapil Dev after his brilliant start and took a hat-trick in the 2006 Karachi Test. The left-arm pacer also earned Player of the Match awards in the 2007 T20 World Cup final and the 2008 Perth Test.

However, injuries affected his cricketing career. Pathan finished with 301 international wickets and 2,821 runs across 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, falling short of the expectations many had for him.

Since retiring from all forms of cricket in 2020, Pathan has stayed involved in the sport as a commentator and has also started his own YouTube channel.

Also read: Asia Cup 2025: Sri Lanka cricketer banned by ICC for match-fixing