Tall Mohammad Irfan having high aims

Pakistan’s new finding Mohammad Irfan, who performed outstandingly on the recent India tour, is aiming very high, as he gears up for the crucial South Africa tour.

A towering pacer of seven feet and one inch, Irfan bamboozled the Indians with his unique style of bowling. Although the 30-year-old did not pick up many wickets, the star-studded Indian line-up did find it very hard to tackle him.

From a high-arm action, the left-armer generates natural pace and bounce. His ability to get extra bounce from the wicket is likely to prove very crucial on the South African pitches. And the whole crew is having heavy hopes on him.

“We jokingly call him the short man," Pakistan Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez told AFP. "We knew he would be a surprise package and with his determination and hard work I hope that he can go a long way in international cricket."

Irfan reached the national side after struggling a lot. Talking about the problems he faced due to his height, he shared, "My height started to increase when I was in class eight. I couldn’t sit on the school bus properly, my uniform stopped fitting after
a few days and people started to make fun of my height."

“My schoolmates used to mock me saying, why am I in class eight when I am so tall. I used to come in my friends’s car with a special seat. I would join two beds to sleep properly and when I wanted to play cricket I couldn’t find proper shoes."

His career got a breakthrough n 2009, when Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) picked him at the domestic level. Rashid Iqbal, manager of the KRL, stated of him:

"Irfan was unique. He has worked very hard to come this far and the most remarkable thing about him is that despite his height he has kept his fitness through extra work-outs."

The Gaggu Mandi-born fast bowler has played only two Twenty20 internationals and five ODIs so far, but he has made a significant impact at the top level.

He was first introduced in 2010 against England, when he could do anything special.  But the recent Indian tour has made him a different bowler altogether.  

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Posted by Rana Nasir Ghafoor on Jan 19 2013. Filed under Pakistan, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry