Confident Irfan says he can win World Cup single handedly
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LAHORE: The world's tallest cricketer Mohammad Irfan Tuesday said he could win next year's World Cup for Pakistan single-handedly after regaining full fitness from a hip bone injury which had sidelined him for six months.
Irfan, who is seven-feet and one-inch (2.16 metres) tall, was speaking at a training camp in the eastern city of Lahore following his long lay-off.
“I am feeling good fitness and of course the target is to win the World Cup for Pakistan,” said Irfan, who turns 32 on Friday.
“It's a big event, every player feels honoured to play it. In Australia pitches are very bouncy and are suitable for me and obviously I got a height factor and I can do well.”
“If I managed to sustain my 100 per cent fitness I can win everything all alone, single handedly,” he added.
The lanky paceman was injured during the Twenty20 series against South Africa in November last year in Dubai, missing Pakistan's series against Sri Lanka, tour to South Africa, Asia Cup and the World Twenty20.
Irfan said it was disappointing to miss six months of cricket, but said he would strive to avoid further injuries.
“I am working so hard on my fitness and I am ensuring this time that I should go (a) long way,” he said.
Irfan broke into the national team in 2010 at the relatively late age of 28 but has so far played just four Tests, 27 one-day internationals and seven T20.
“I know I have to manage my workload and playing Tests is an added pressure hence I decided to play T20 and one-dayers only. I have to get myself tied up for a longer run this time and will ensure that I won't get dropped.”
The selectors are not likely to take a chance on Irfan for their August tour of Sri Lanka, with the all-important series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in October-November a more realistic target for a comeback.
Pakistan then play New Zealand in the UAE, and tour New Zealand for a short limited over series before the World Cup in 2015.
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Comments (59) Closed
Jun 03, 2014 08:37pm
Isnt that overconfidence?
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Jun 03, 2014 08:59pm
Let's just start with beating India for a change. Such bravado is good if backed up with performance but over-confidence is not good.
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Jun 03, 2014 09:03pm
He should really be thinking of getting on the park first before he starts talking big. He certainly is a weapon but needs to fire first.
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Jun 03, 2014 09:15pm
The title should have been "Delusional Irfan says he can win the World Cup single handedly"
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Jun 03, 2014 09:16pm
He should be trained very carefully. In ODI bowler has to bowl 10 good overs that requires stamina and power. With height advantage and bowling with right line and length he will be difficult to play. But, he needs to be 100% fit. PCB should prepare for a backup bowler also. I mean not Gul....
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Jun 03, 2014 09:20pm
Hain? Be Humble Man!!! If you have some talent show in the ground... and always remember Mr. Irfan... It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.
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Jun 03, 2014 09:54pm
Too much overconfidence, that too single handedly.
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Jun 03, 2014 10:41pm
Only when Team Management can use him for his best outcome!
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Jun 03, 2014 10:50pm
"I can win everything all alone".
Is that an understatement or what?
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Jun 03, 2014 11:39pm
Irfan is a great bowler however, over confidence is key to failure. He should just play his game and not make comments such as, I can win this game single handed, a match is won by a team not a person
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Jun 04, 2014 12:02am
@Haris Sher That's more like it.
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Jun 04, 2014 12:27am
Fool and his team will be partying soon.
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Jun 04, 2014 12:27am
A fast bowler needs to be arrogant, mean and confident. I like it.
All the best for Irfan.
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Jun 04, 2014 12:48am
He will face tough competition from amir and asif next year.
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Jun 04, 2014 12:51am
Winning a world cup is very far away from Pak cricket team!.Winning is always a result of team work.I believe if they play unitedly not play just to remain in team and with true spirit then they certainly can win.
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Jun 04, 2014 01:28am
Hopefully he can match his words with solid and tangible on-the-field performance and win matches for his team. My advice to Mohammad Irfan at this important point in time is to let his outstanding bowling and agile fielding do the talking. He must refrain from making tall claims and talking too much, a hallmark of majority of the cricketers
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Jun 04, 2014 01:35am
He is not world class bowler yet. He is 32 at this time. He needs to think before saying something.
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Jun 04, 2014 02:54am
Somebody tell him Cricket is a team game. Or maybe he'a talking of Snooker, where he can, indeed, single-handedly win.
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Jun 04, 2014 03:03am
He doesn't come across as an arrogant overconfident pacer. Perhaps he aspires to singlehandedly win it for us.. Irrespective, he, Junaid, Ajmal can be key ingredients in success if the batting clicks a little.
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Jun 04, 2014 06:17am
Does single handedly means you will be bowling with one arm tied behind your back?
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Jun 04, 2014 07:45am
Slightly over confident, aren't we? Akram and Shoaib at the peak of their careers could not win the world cup single handedly.
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Jun 04, 2014 07:54am
Irfan bhai, there are 4 other bowlers to bowl and then bating wins the game not the bowling alone. Please stay humble
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Jun 04, 2014 08:10am
Why guys are talking about over confidence? When he was fit enough he gave 200% better performance than rest of his team mates.So where is the issue of over confidence
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Jun 04, 2014 08:43am
You can win world cup for Pakistan is - confidence,
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Jun 04, 2014 08:45am
Typical Pakistani player unreasonable claims. This type of claim is what led to our team's failure most of the time. Can't someone teach them to talk less and perform more.
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Jun 04, 2014 09:48am
Well known nonsense of Pakistani players.
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Jun 04, 2014 11:11am
Indian team batting line up will let your eyes open. Stop dreaming
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Jun 04, 2014 11:27am
Good luck buddy...you will bowl with a long run up than run all around the park to field the ball and could find one or two run out, and catch as well , that's how he will win the game single handedly.
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Jun 04, 2014 11:42am
Player needs such arrogance and over-confidence. That should be the attitude to go in the ground.
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Jun 04, 2014 11:56am
alll is well
]
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Jun 04, 2014 12:07pm
Fans are fed up with useless pre-tournament claims by the captains, managers, coaches and even the chairmen of PCB in the past. Please for God sake the players should behave like a professional cricketer.
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Jun 04, 2014 12:49pm
I cannot believe it. lol! lol! lol!
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Jun 04, 2014 12:59pm
Irfan please show this confidence on the pitch.cricket is a team game.batsmen have to pile up runs in order for bowlers to bowl at some total.best of luck Pakistan.
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Jun 04, 2014 01:25pm
Let your bowling do the talking please.
And for Asif and Amir coming back, someone is joking.
Specialy Asif how many times has he let down Pakistan.
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Jun 04, 2014 01:32pm
Really? This must be a joke!!
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Jun 04, 2014 02:45pm
I would rather want to see what he said in Urdu that was translated here because it must have been because of literal translation from Urdu to English that sometimes gives a totally different tone
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Jun 04, 2014 03:48pm
@Dr. Sehar Khan
I absolutely agree, word to word, with the addition "a stupid statement".
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Jun 04, 2014 04:31pm
Irfan, there are some famous saying, "actions speak louder than words"! Another one, "there's a fine line between confidence/self-belief and over-confidence/arrogance", and "empty vessels make more noise"!
A little bit of humility and carefully chosen words, in public, but self-belief 'off and on-the-field' (like Hashim Amla etc., etc., etc.) will make you a better ambassador and respectable cricketer for Pakistan!
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Jun 04, 2014 07:28pm
If he can win one, Umar Akmal can win one too and Afridi can win two, all by himself, and that too in a single tournament. Looks like we are going to win at least four world cups this time around folks.
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Jun 04, 2014 08:35pm
just leave him behind , when team goes . he is long forgotten history.
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Jun 04, 2014 08:59pm
An idiot in the making.
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Jun 04, 2014 10:27pm
No one in cricket history has ever made such a claim. He should be left in the company of Amla, to drill some humility in him.
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Jun 04, 2014 11:44pm
Get 100% fit first and then perform, before you boast.
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Jun 05, 2014 05:03am
Yes-he is a match winner, Pakistan bowling attack can be considered the best in the world and very destructive when considering that Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, left arm spinner and Gul are in the line-up. However, batting and fielding needs to be improved considerably.--Good luck and best wishes to Irfan, and hoping that dirty politics will have no role in selection process.
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Jun 05, 2014 08:46am
This is the problem with the entire Pakistan team. They make statements that shows little respect for their opponents. They don't realize that by displaying overconfidence, they belittle their opponents. Somebody needs to guide our players and drill some sense in them.
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Jun 05, 2014 10:12am
As they say; "talk is cheap".
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Jun 05, 2014 11:39am
Having confidence is one thing but this claim of ability to win single handedly is sheer
arrogance and a case of boasting which does not augur well for him or for any body else.
There have been better ..much better bowlers than Irfan who played for many years and also proved their metal but i can not recall any of them having boasted like this man Irfan.
It would be better for him if he learns to be humble even if he is really able to perform as boasted.
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Jun 05, 2014 11:41am
@moe He seems to have been carried away at the little success achieved so far in his
career. He needs to keep head in control if he really wants to succeed instead of being so very arrogant.
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Jun 05, 2014 12:16pm
Now that's overconfidence
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Jun 05, 2014 12:36pm
He must be feeling very good about his form and body. so Good Luck to him.
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Jun 05, 2014 02:20pm
We know you are the tallest medium fast bowler not Fast bowler so please don't spoke those words which you cannot catch and you even don't know will you be fit till world cup or not.
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Jun 05, 2014 05:05pm
Very immature comment !!! He must be so convinced that he alone can get any team out in his allotted 10 overs & he alone will score all the runs the opposition team scores.
Such comments lead to a severe let down when Pakistan does not win.
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Jun 05, 2014 05:09pm
Someone should teach him humility. Pakistan had equally promising bowlers but I cannot remember such boastful comments.
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Jun 05, 2014 06:03pm
What an Idiot. He should first win and then talk. He is like any other cricketer full of hot air.
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Jun 06, 2014 09:17am
I don't know why his fitness problems are so serious that he will only play ODIs and T20s. Why is it that every tall player, like him (Shabbir Ahmed) suffer so many injuries.
Look at players like Glenn Mcgrath, Courtney Walsh, Ambrose etc.
Also needless to mentioned, NBA players, where average heights are more than 6'6, how do they manage to stay fit with all this running and jumping??
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Jun 06, 2014 03:50pm
Lambi moo, badi baat
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Jun 06, 2014 08:10pm
Boasting will get you no where....proof will be in the pudding....you are no Waqar or Wasim so prove yourself before making such stupid remarks!!!
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Jun 06, 2014 10:08pm
He should form an independent team for the world cup- A single man team. He can be allowed to bat 10 times in every game, and bowl 50 overs. Only then he can prove this.
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Jun 08, 2014 01:47pm
Lack of Professional journalism. Irfan never said to be able to win the World Cup single handedly. Read the same article that was published in cricinfo. Irfan said that if he is fit and on the peak of form, he can win MATCHES single handedly. He never talked about winning the world cup. He said that it would be good bowling in Australia as fast and bouncy pitches will suit him. That is the correct interpretation of his interview. Dawn, you should be careful before anything of this sort is published.
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