When the name Irfan Pathan comes up, most cricket fans instantly recall his magical hat-trick against Pakistan in Karachi during the 2006 Test series. That fiery spell, where he dismantled Pakistan’s top order in the very first over, remains one of the most iconic moments in India-Pakistan cricketing history. But for Irfan himself, that tour was memorable for reasons beyond his on-field heroics—it was also marked by a fiery verbal clash with Shahid Afridi that unfolded mid-air.
Recalling the incident in a recent conversation with Lallantop, the former Indian all-rounder revealed how tensions spilt over from the cricket field to the flight. Both teams were travelling together from Karachi to Lahore when Afridi, known for his aggressive persona, decided to provoke Irfan.
“During the 2006 tour, Afridi came and put his hand on my head, messing up my hair. He called me ‘kid’ and tried to act like a father figure. I was neither talking to him nor provoking him, but then he started saying some unpleasant things. His seat was near mine, so it became a bit uncomfortable,” Irfan Patahn recalled.
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What could have been an awkward journey soon turned into a humorous showdown. Irfan narrated how he cleverly diffused the situation while taking a cheeky dig at Afridi. Sitting next to Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, Irfan casually asked about the types of meat available in Lahore. When Razzaq listed a few options, Irfan jokingly asked, “Is dog meat available here?”
Surprised, Abdul Razzaq asked why he was bringing up such a thing. Irfan’s witty response left everyone stunned: “Because Afridi has eaten dog meat, he has been barking for so long.” The remark, sharp yet humorous, silenced Afridi for the rest of the flight. “If he had spoken again, I would have said, ‘Look, he’s barking more.’ From that day onwards, he never tried to pick a fight with me again,” Irfan Pathan added with a laugh.
Their on-field rivalry was equally intense. Statistically, Irfan had the upper hand in many encounters—dismissing Afridi nine times across formats. However, Afridi too had his moments, countering with an explosive strike rate of 149.35 against the left-arm pacer, hammering 28 boundaries and nine towering sixes.
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Today, both legends have retired from international cricket, but such anecdotes keep their fiery battles alive in the memories of fans. For Irfan Pathan, the Karachi hat-trick will always be his crowning achievement, but the witty exchange with Shahid Afridi in that flight remains a priceless chapter in the India-Pakistan rivalry.
