‘I didn’t set up hookah for...': Irfan Pathan about his mysterious exit from team India

New Delhi: Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has once again stirred the conversation around his abrupt exit from international cricket, indirectly hinting at the role of then-skipper MS Dhoni and the team management in sidelining him despite strong performances.

A clip from a 2020 interview with SportsTak, which has recently gone viral, shows Irfan revealing details about a candid conversation he had with Dhoni in 2008, when he was still a key member of the Indian team.

Recalling an incident from the 2008 Australia series, Irfan said he was surprised to see reports in the media claiming that Dhoni was unhappy with his bowling. He confronted Dhoni to clear the air.

"Yes, I asked him. During the 2008 Australia series, Mahi bhai's statement came out in the media that Irfan wasn't bowling well. So I thought I had bowled well throughout the series, so I went and asked Mahi bhai about this," Irfan said.

However, Dhoni apparently dismissed the reports, assuring Irfan that everything was "going as per plan."

"Mahi bhai said, 'No Irfan, there is nothing like this, everything's going as per plans.' When you get a reply like this, then you believe that okay, you do what you can. Also if you keep asking for explanations again and again after that, you hurt your self-respect," Irfan added.

In the same interview, Irfan Pathan took a veiled jab at the team culture, possibly referring to players who went out of their way to stay in favour with the captain and management.

"I don't have a habit of setting up hookah in someone's room or talking about this," he said.

"A cricketer's job is to perform on the field and that is what I used to focus on."

While Irfan didn’t name anyone directly, fans have speculated that the "hookah room" reference could be aimed at certain players who reportedly had closer personal bonds with Dhoni off the field, which may have influenced team dynamics.