Irfan Pathan questions BCCI on Iyer, Kishan's central contracts termination

Shreyas Iyer, Irfan Pathan, Ishan Kishan (Pic: File Pic)

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan questioned the BCCI's decision to not include Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan in the central contracts. He said that players like Hardik Pandya have not been judged on the same parameters.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday ended the central contract of Kishan and Iyer due to the ignorance of the board's order to play the Ranji Trophy.

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Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya who has not featured in Tests since 2018 has secured a place in Grade A players.

"If players like Hardik don't want to play red ball cricket, should he and others like him participate in white-ball domestic cricket when they aren't on national duty?" he questioned BCCI's decision, in his post on X.

"If this doesn't apply to all, then Indian cricket won't achieve the desired results!" he added.

The 25-year-old Ishan Kishan did not feature in Jharkhand's Ranji team throughout the season despite not being in the Indian team after he opted out from the South Africa tour in December citing personal reasons.

He ignored the orders given to him by BCCI to play in the Ranji Trophy. The left-hander instead started preparing for the Indian Premier League 2024 starting in next month. Kishan made his appearance in the ongoing DY Patil T20 tournament in Mumbai.

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On the other hand, Iyer was not available for Mumbai's quaterfinal match against Baroda but later was somehow picked for the Ranji Trophy semifinals starting on March 2. He will be back to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2024 beginning on March 22.

Irfan believes that the duo will come back strongly. "They are talented cricketers, both Shreyas and Ishan. Hoping they bounce back and come back stronger," he said.

The exclusion of Iyer and Kishan is being seen as a stern message to young players unwilling to put in the hard yards in first-class cricket, while chasing white-ball glory and lucrative IPL contracts.

On Wednesday, former India coach Ravi Shastri also backed the embattled duo. "In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, @ShreyasIyer15 and @ishankishan51! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you'll conquer once again," Shastri had posted on X.

(With PTI Inputs)