New Delhi: Out-of-favour India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan on Friday announced retirement from all forms of cricket, saying time has come "to put a full stop to this innings of my life."
The 38-year-old Pathan was part of the inaugural T20 World Cup-winning side in 2007 and also the one that triumphed in the 2011 ODI World Cup at home.
"The time has come today for me to put a full stop to this innings of my life. I officially announce retirement from all forms of the game," he said in a statement posted on Twitter.
"I thank my family, friends, fans, teams, coaches and the whole country wholeheartedly for all the support and love," he wrote.
Pathan, elder brother of former India seamer Irfan, played 57 ODIs and scored 810 runs at a strike-rate of 113.60 with two hundreds and three fifties.
He also featured in 22 T20Is where he made 236 at a strike-rate of 146.58 and was also a part of Kolkata Knight Riders' triumphs in the Indian Premier League. He last played for India in 2012.
"I still remember the day when I wore the India jersey for the first time. I didn't only wear the jersey that day, but I took upon my family's, coach's, friends the whole country's and my own expectations on my shoulders as well," Pathan recalled.
"Winning two World Cups for India and lifting Sachin Tendulkar on my shoulders were some of the best moments of my career. I made my international debut under M S Dhoni, IPL debut under Shane Warne, Ranji debut under Jacob Martin and would like to thank them for believing in me," he added.
He had been going unsold in the past two IPL players' auctions.
I thank my family, friends, fans, teams, coaches and the whole country wholeheartedly for all the support and love. #retirement pic.twitter.com/usOzxer9CE
— Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) February 26, 2021
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In an impassioned plea, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt, the wife of former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, has denounced what she terms as an "illegal" and "unlawful" conviction handed down to her husband by the Palanpur Sessions court in Gujarat. Sanjiv Bhatt, already serving a life sentence in a separate case, was sentenced to an additional 20 years in jail in connection with a 1996 case involving the planting of drugs to frame a Rajasthan-based lawyer.
Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt took to social media platform X to express her outrage at the court's decision, decrying it as a gross miscarriage of justice. In her post, she alleged that the judiciary, represented by "Justice" J.N. Thakkar, had delivered a verdict riddled with illegality and falsehoods. She asserted that her husband had been falsely implicated in a fabricated case that dates back nearly three decades.
The crux of Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt's argument lies in the court's ruling that the 20-year sentence handed to her husband would not run concurrently with his existing life imprisonment term. Instead, the court ordered that the 20-year sentence would commence only after the completion of the life imprisonment term, effectively ensuring that her husband would spend a considerable portion of his life behind bars.
Furthermore, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt lamented that the time her husband had already spent as an under-trial during the prolonged legal proceedings would not be counted towards his sentence. This, she contended, amounted to a flagrant violation of legal principles and a denial of basic human rights.
"Justice" J.N. Thakkar today pronounced an unlawful conviction of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment NOT CONCURRENT to the Life Imprisonment sentence along with a fine of 5 lakh rupees. Which means, the 5.5 years spent as an under-trial in this case while the prosecution maliciously dragged the fabricated case on and on will not be counted towards the 20 years of imprisonment or the unlawful Life imprisonment sentence… In fact, in a gross departure from legal principles, as per the judgement pronounced by J.N. Thakkar, the 20 years of imprisonment are to start and counted after the completion of the Life Imprisonment sentence. THE REGIME WANTS TO PUNISH SANJIV BHATT TO DEATH AND THEN PUNISH HIM BEYOND DEATH FOR A CRIME HE DID NOT COMMIT!!!” Shweta’s post read.
In her plea, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt accused the ruling regime of orchestrating a campaign to silence her husband, whom she portrayed as a fearless advocate for truth and justice. She asserted that the relentless persecution faced by Sanjiv Bhatt over the past two decades was a testament to the threat his truth posed to those in power.
“Just when you think the regime and their bootlickers cannot stoop any lower, they fall further down to unimaginable lows! Not only is this an absolute mockery of the judiciary and blatant abuse of power but it stands against every legal tenant of jurisprudence! This is the heavy and cruel price Sanjiv Bhatt is paying for standing up for what is right while the very society he sacrificed his everything to protect remains silent and watches on as mute spectators. This is the price Sanjiv Bhatt is paying for your continued silence and apathy …” Shweta wrote in her tweet.
“Dangerous examples continue to be made of Sanjiv Bhatt as the regime continues to leave no stone unturned to prosecute and target him, so much so that they are using any and every desperate means, to discredit Sanjiv and ensure he spends his life languishing in jail. The regime has targeted and persecuted Sanjiv Bhatt relentlessly for the last 2 decades, which is testimony to the colossal threat Sanjiv’s truth poses to this regime. The misuse of the judiciary and abuse of power is only indicative of how desperate the regime is to silence Sanjiv at any cost!” she added.
Drawing attention to what she perceives as a broader erosion of democratic values and the rule of law, Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt called upon society to rally behind her husband and denounce the injustice being meted out to him. She urged individuals to speak out against what she described as a "declaration of war against truth" and to stand in solidarity against tyranny and oppression.
“You failed to protect your defenders; will another defender ever stand up to defend you in the future!? The regime and its lackeys, intoxicated by power and fuelled by malice, are determined to crush dissent, to silence the voices that dare to speak out against their tyranny. Let us rise, not in anger, but in solidarity. Let us raise our voices, not in hatred, but in unwavering determination. Let us fight, for Sanjiv Bhatt … against the injustice meted out to him! This isn't just injustice; this is a declaration of war against truth, against righteousness, against the very essence of humanity!!” she further added.
This is Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt,
— Sanjiv Bhatt (IPS) (@sanjivbhatt) March 28, 2024
Today, on 28th March 2024, the “Justice” J.N. Thakkar of the Palanpur Sessions court illegally and falsely convicted Sanjiv Bhatt in a 28-year-old fabricated case.
"Justice" J.N. Thakkar today pronounced an unlawful conviction of 20 years of… pic.twitter.com/CU9EamCZCo