Irfan Pathan shared a funny yet heated story from India’s 2006 tour of Pakistan. During a flight from Karachi to Lahore, when both teams were travelling together, Shahid Afridi walked up to him, messed up his hair, and said, “How are you, kid?” Pathan replied, “Since when have you become my father?” This led to a small argument, as Afridi started using abusive words while sitting right next to him.

On the other side, Pathan was sitting with Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. While chatting, Pathan asked him about the types of meat available in Pakistan. Razzaq listed a few, and then Pathan suddenly asked, “Is dog meat available here?” Afridi, who was listening, was shocked. Razzaq also asked why Pathan said that. Pathan replied, “He has eaten dog meat, that’s why he’s been barking for so long.”

Irfan Pathan on his relationship with Shahid Afridi.

Pathan didn’t mince a word🔥pic.twitter.com/T81naJVVwy

— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) August 16, 2025

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Afridi stayed quiet for the rest of the flight. Pathan said that from that day, Afridi knew he couldn’t win against him in an argument, so he never tried again. Their rivalry didn’t end there. Pathan had many good performances against Pakistan, taking 67 wickets and scoring 807 runs, including a hundred. One of his big moments was in the 2007 T20 World Cup final, where he dismissed Afridi for a golden duck.