Wife Trolled, India's T20 World Cup Winner Speaks Out: "Really Bad..."

Fame has its positives and negatives. Ask the Indian cricketers. While their success is celebrated by billions, when they fail, the criticism is harsh. Sometimes, fans go overboard and say things that are demeaning. Even the players' family members are not spared. There are numerous examples of such behaviour. Irfan Pathan, a member of India's 2007 T20 World Cup squad, has suffered the same fate. In fact, his wife Safa Baig has been the target of some unsavoury trolling.

Pathan married Safa back in 2016. From being criticised for wearing nail polish to becoming a victim of social media policing over a blurred photo, Safa has seen it all.

"It felt very bad in the beginning, and I thought this wasn't needed. My wife is the leader of my house. Similarly, my mother was the leader of our house. So, it doesn't feel right if someone says something about my leaders. Yes, trolling has happened, and that too in the wrong manner. My wife felt really bad initially when it happened. My policy is not to read any comments," Irfan Pathan said on Lallantop.

"If it were up to me, I would post pictures of my family every day. However, despite being a public figure, I am a very private person. I feel that our real happiness should not be showcased in public. Everyone finds their children very beautiful—so do I. My son Suleiman, I feel he is the most handsome man, with curls and light eyes. Imran, his manners are very good. And what makes my wife beautiful is not only her looks but her character," he added.

Irfan Pathan has also narrated the tale of his ouster from the Indian team, recalling how former captain MS Dhoni forced him out of the squad despite him performing well and winning games for the side. Irfan, who first burst onto the international stage as an 18-year-old, made his India debut during a Test against Australia in 2003. Known for his swing and accuracy, Irfan not only established himself as a proven wicket-taker across formats but also caught the eye with his aggressive batting.

The 40-year-old recalled the scenes from the tour of New Zealand in 2009, where he was dropped for four of the five ODIs, while the other game was washed out due to rain. He was not part of the Test squad and only featured in two T20Is during the lengthy tour.

"In New Zealand, I was benched for the first match, the second match, and the third match as well. The fourth match was a draw because of rain. I wasn't in the final match either. Then I asked Gary sir why I had been dropped. If there was something I needed to improve, he could tell me, but I wanted to know the reason I was left out," he added.

Irfan also revealed his conversation with then head coach Gary Kirsten, who gave him two major reasons for being dropped from the team.

Irfan admitted that his conversation with Kirsten made it clear that it was Dhoni who was calling the shots and didn't want him in the team.

"Kirsten gave me two reasons. He said, 'There are things that are not in my hands.' Those were Gary's exact words. I asked whose hands it was in, but he didn't tell me. I already knew whose hands it was in. The playing XI is decided by the captain's choice. The decision rests with the captain, coach, and management. Dhoni was the captain at that time. I won't get into whether that decision was right or wrong, because every captain has the right to run the team in his own way," said Pathan.

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