Munaf Patel, a member of India's triumphant World Cup squad in 2011, has retired from all forms of competitive cricket. The pace bowler made his decision official on Saturday.
Hailing from Ikhar, a village near Bharuch in Gujarat, Munaf is one of Indian cricket's most famous rags-to-riches stories. The lanky bowler who preferred to bowl without shoes in tennis-ball cricket tournaments till he was forced to wear spikes featured in 13 Tests, 70 ODIs and three T20Is between 2006 and 2011. Besides, he was a workhorse in domestic cricket, representing Mumbai and Maharashtra before moving back to his home team Baroda towards the end of his career.
It is understood that Munaf announced his retirement like some of his former team-mates after signing for the next month's T10 Cricket League in the United Arab Emirates. Despite being an ICC-recognised event, the Indian board does not allow active players to participate in franchise-based leagues other than the IPL.
A member of the Rajasthan Royals' title-winning run in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008, Munaf rose to fame as a genuine fast bowler who reportedly had impressed Sachin Tendulkar in the nets. With the who's who of Indian cricket impressed with him, Munaf made his first-class debut for India A versus the visiting New Zealanders in 2013, dismissing Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle in both the innings.
Soon he donned the Mumbai colours and earned an India call-up in 2006 soon after moving to Maharashtra as a professional. However, Munaf soon joined the list of Indian pacers in the last decade to have lost the zip soon after earning the India cap and as a result, couldn't really establish himself as a Test bowler.
But he improved his skill-set in white-ball cricket and made the cut in the World Cup squad in 2011. Soon after celebrating the World Cup success, Munaf made his last appearance in India's jersey during the Test series in the Caribbean in July 2011.
Despite being an India cricketer, Munaf remained a mysterious personality to many of his team-mates. Even when he was at his peak, Munaf would rush to his hometown and remain inaccessible for weeks. But besides his exploits on the field, Munaf will always be remembered for sporting a wide grin all the time, on and off the field.
