Irfan Pathan will be plying his trade for the Kandy franchise in the inaugural edition of Lanka Premier League (LPL) and the former India all-rounder is quite excited about it.
Pathan, who has more than 300 international wickets to his name, is willing to help young kids on the block who look at T20 leagues as a platform to express their skills.
"The good thing about LPL and other T20 leagues is that they make it mandatory to have plenty of young domestic players in the squads. As a cricketer, who has come up through the ranks of junior and age-group cricket, I can tell you that hearing the seniors speak in the dressing room and during team meetings, taking their advice on the field to tackle tough situations, seeing them train, these are valuable lessons that one can't learn anywhere else," Pathan told ANI in an exclusive interview.
"I have been part of a few coaching assignments in the past and I can tell you that it is a very rewarding feeling when you can give something back to the game. Extremely excited (about the LPL)! It is a new league, a new team, a new set-up, and to add to it, Kandy has some big names in T20 cricket, I am looking forward to sharing my experience with them and play some good cricket," he added.
Talking about experience, Pathan has represented India in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is.
Asked how he would combat modern-day greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the left-arm pacer said: "I agree that both of them are very good and as you rightly said the most devastating batsmen in the modern era. But I would have had my plans for both of them. For starters, I would have bowled a 4-5th stump line to Virat and try to force him to play behind the square as he likes to play in front. For Rohit, I would have tried not to give any width whatsoever and even try to bowl bit fuller."
Before becoming a part of the commentary team, Pathan featured in the IPL regularly and he believes the standard of cricket in the Indian league is what separates it from the rest.
"First thing that strikes everyone about IPL is the competitive cricket that one sees day in and day out. The standard of cricket is very high and it is not just the foreign players, the young domestic players have outdone the senior foreign exports on many occasions as we have seen over the years," Irfan remarked.
"IPL has also given Indian cricket a number of our next generation cricketers who have gone to do well at the international stage. BCCI also has taken all measures to maintain the sanctity and integrity of the league and all verticals are working in tandem for the growth of the league," he concluded.
