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"He's Been Barking For Long": Irfan Pathan's Dog Meat Jibe That Shut Shahid Afridi In 2006

Jatin

Shahid Afridi and Irfan Pathan [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com]Shahid Afridi and Irfan Pathan [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com]

The India-Pakistan rivalry has always been intense, both on and off the pitch. But back in 2006, things got really spicy mid-air when Irfan Pathan and Shahid Afridi locked horns on a flight from Karachi to Lahore.

Irfan Pathan Reveals How He Silenced Abusive Shahid Afridi Mid-Air In 2006

What started as a silly jibe soon turned into a war of words and Irfan Pathan showed he could pack a punch not just with the ball but also with his tongue.

Pathan recalled the incident in a chat with Lallantop, saying it all began when Afridi decided to mess around.

“During the 2006 tour, we were travelling by flight from Karachi to Lahore. Both teams were travelling together. Afridi came and placed his hand on my head, messing up my hair. He asked me, ‘How are you kid?’ I said, ‘Since when have you become my father?’”

Pathan didn’t mince his words, adding, “The childish behaviour was actually his. He was not my friend.”

What followed was Shahid Afridi throwing some abusive words at him, clearly not expecting the younger Indian all-rounder to clap back.

Pathan Has The Last Laugh

Sitting next to Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, Pathan soon turned the tables with some sharp wordplay.

“Abdul Razzaq was sitting with me then. I asked him what kind of meat is available here. He told me about the different kinds of meat. Then I asked if dog meat was available. Afridi was sitting right there. Razzaq was shocked to hear this and said, ‘Hey Irfan, why are you saying this?’”

That is when Pathan delivered the knockout blow.

“I said, ‘He (Afridi) has eaten dog meat, he has been barking for a long time.’ After that, Afridi couldn't say anything. Whatever he might have said, I would have just said, ‘Look, he is barking again.’ After this, he remained silent throughout the flight.”

Looking back, Pathan summed it up perfectly: “From this incident, he understood that he could not win against me verbally. That’s why he never said anything to me again.”

And just like that, the left-arm swing king proved that sometimes, words can cut deeper than yorkers.

Rivalry Beyond Words

This wasn’t just about banter. Pathan and Afridi had their fair share of battles on the field too. Pathan’s record against Pakistan speaks volumes: 67 wickets and 807 runs, including a century. The cherry on top? He dismissed Afridi for a golden duck in the 2007 T20 World Cup final.