When Irfan Pathan was dropped from the Indian team for the first time, it was viewed as a break to allow him some time to sort out his game.
When Irfan Pathan was dropped from the Indian team for the first time, it was viewed as a break to allow him some time to sort out his game. But, the break has not ended. Things have gone from bad to worse for the Baroda all-rounder. His value in Indian cricket has been diminishing rapidly. So much so that he's been demoted in the BCCI's (Board of Control for Cricket in India) annual retainer contracts.
|
|
Beu00a0fair guys: Discarded India all-rounder Irfan Pathan |
In fact, Pathan's name was missing in the first list of contracted players released by the BCCI before being included later in the Grade C. Ashish Nehra has been put in Grade B in Pathan's place.
Former India player Kiran More, who was part of the selection committee which first selected Irfan Pathan in 2003, said the left-hander's comeback has suffered because he's not been given a fair run. "I don't understand how can Nehra be Pathan's replacement. Nehra is not consistent and what about the 25 extra runs he concedes in fielding," More told MiD DAY.
"You need to be given five-six matches at a stretch to settle down, and in the last few seasons Irfan has not been given that.
"I am not saying he has bowled superbly. Irfan has bowled well in patches but except for Zaheer Khan, everyoneu00a0Ishant Sharma, R P Singh, S Sreesanth has bowled horribly, and they can't bat too. How many bowlers can take five-wicket hauls consistently? Are Ishant, R P and Sreesanth capable of running through sides?
"In comparison, Irfan has done well. He gets you one or two wickets and the plus point is his batting. He can get you 60-70 runs and is a good fielder too," said More.
More, the former chairman of selectors was confident that Irfan will bounce back. "He's a strong character,"
he stressed.
