I feel proud to be playing for India: Irfan Pathan's response to Pakistani girl who questioned his patriotism

Pathan, who last played for India in October 2012, was asked why he plays for India despite being a Muslim by a Pakistani girl.

Hyderabad: Out of favour Indian pacer Irfan Pathan, who has been trying his best to make an international comeback, shared an interesting anecdote recently.

During an event in Nagpur, the all-rounder from Baroda shared an incident from his playing days when a girl from Lahore asked him why was he playing for India despite being a Muslim?

“It is a matter of pride for me to play for India. That incident still motivates me to do better. Although there are many moments during my career that do give me reasons to feel proud of my effort,” Pathan was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Recalling the incident, the 32-year-old said that the conversation with the Pakistani woman motivated him to perform even better during his career.

Pathan also recalled the most memorable moment of his career when he was handed over his debut cap by former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Widely regarded as one of the best swing bowlers to have played the game, Pathan represented India in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is. But his form deteriorated as a result of injuries, after which he was shown the door by the selectors.

One of the highlights of his career was the hat-trick he claimed in the first over of a Test against Pakistan.

He is currently representing West Zone in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Twenty20 championship.