Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has revealed that Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was a big admirer of him during the early stages of his career and sought advice from the legendary pacer. Akram, however, jokingly noted that Pathan now frequently posts comments against Pakistan on social media.

Pathan emerged as a promising left-arm pacer for India in the early 2000s. With Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra already established in the team, Pathan quickly made a name for himself with his pace, swing and ability to reverse the ball. Recalling his first interaction with Pathan, Akram said they met during India’s 2004 tour of Australia, when he was working as a commentator for ESPNStar.

“Irfan met me in 2004 on his first tour to Australia; I was commentating for ESPNStar. He was a big fan. Grew up watching us. I gave him a few tips here and there, but he did well early on in his career,” Wasim Akram said on the 1 Mint Podcast.

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Akram also explained that his advice to Pathan was not limited to technical aspects of bowling. He stressed the importance of developing the right mindset while playing international cricket. “His action was similar to mine from the very beginning. But when players ask you about something, what you tell them is mostly about the mindset,” Akram said.

He added that discussions also covered wrist position, reading batters and knowing when to use different bowling variations. “Things like wrist position and how to suss out a batter. When to use variations, when not to. So yeah, it was good fun. Irfan is a good boy; he still keeps meeting me,” Akram added.

Pathan eventually became an important part of India’s bowling attack before injuries affected his career. He retired from international cricket in 2020 and has since remained active in broadcasting and social media.

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Akram then took a playful dig at his former admirer’s online activity. “It is a different thing that he keeps tweeting some or the other thing against Pakistan. But our fans are ready too. They don’t tend to ignore either. They just have to reply,” Akram said.