Former India international Irfan Pathan shared photos of his time spent with juvenile cricketers from the National Cricket Academy (NCA), who will represent the Men in Blue at the upcoming U19 World Cup. The 38-year-old thanked his former colleague VVS Laxman, who is currently the head of NCA, as well as Troy Cooley and Rajib Datta for providing them with valuable advice during the 14-day camp.
Notably, India won the previous U19 World Cup, so they will be under duress to defend their title this time around. In order to adequately prepare, Pathan was tasked with instructing the youths, one of whom later remarked that he had a fantastic time learning and exchanging information.
“I had a wonderful time at the National Cricket Academy during these fourteen days of excellent learning and sharing of cricketing knowledge. Thank you, VVS Laxman bhai, for allowing me and my colleagues to train with the under-19 cricketers preparing for the impending World Cup. Irfan Pathan tweeted on Monday, “Special thanks to Troy Cooley and our very own Rajib Datta for spending so much time with us and sharing your vast knowledge.”
I Personally had a wonderful time during these 14 days of great learning and sharing cricketing knowledge at the National cricket academy. Thank you @VVSLaxman281 bhai for having me n my colleagues with the u-19 cricketers who are preparing for the upcoming World Cup. Special… pic.twitter.com/8NlQRtauZQ
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 3, 2023
Significantly, the Irfan Pathan final international match was against South Africa in 2012. In 29 Test matches, he took 100 wickets for India, and in 50-over matches, he took 173 wickets in 120 matches. He was also a member of the Indian national team that won the Champions Trophy in 2013. In addition, he won the 2007 T20 World Cup and was a key member of the Indian team that claimed the 2008 Commonwealth Bank series.
Pathan is currently participating in several competitions for retired cricketers, including Road Safety and Legends League Cricket, among others. In addition to his work as a professional commentator, he was affiliated with Star Sports during the Indian Premier League and T20 World Cup 2022, among numerous other significant competitions.