The irony was hard to miss as Mahendra Singh Dhoni lamented the absence of an all-rounder in his team while in a city that has produced the last genuine India player who could competently bat and bowl.

The cricketer isn’t too far from the venue of the opening one-dayer of the India-Australia series but Irfan Pathan’s journey back to the fold isn’t as easy as taking a short auto ride from the IPCL stadium to one of Vadodra’s most famous address at Haji Duplex, the home of the country’s two leading all-rounders.

As Dhoni learns to live without a pacer who can bat, Irfan Pathan is coming to terms with the frustrations of an injury rehabilitation and life away from the spotlight. There isn’t a hint of bitterness as the 24-year-old seems at peace with himself, as he makes most of the time at home and doing things that he missed while living out of a suitcase since his teenage days.

“It’s not just a hope, but I believe that good times will return. I have seen worse three years ago and I have overcome that. There will always be a position in the team for a guy who can bowl and bat well. I believe that I will perform and get an opportunity to play four or five games on a trot,” he says.

This isn’t wishful thinking but logical reasoning as he cites two factors that are on his side. “I am young so I have time. Besides, pacers mature when they are 28 or 29. Look at Zaheer Khan today, and what he was six years ago,” says Irfan who expects to play the Ranji Trophy for Baroda next month.

... contd.