New Delhi:Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shared the anecdote of being dropped from the ODI team during MS Dhoni‘s captaincy in 2009. Irfan said that at that time he was consistently performing well and was a match-winning player, yet he was dropped from the team.
Irfan’s story after Sehwag’s revelation
This statement came at a time when just a day before, Virender Sehwag also told the story of being dropped by Dhoni in 2008. Sehwag said that at that time Sachin Tendulkar intervened and stopped him from retiring, and he was able to make a comeback soon. But Irfan did not get a place in the team for two years, and when he returned in 2011, the team had already started adopting new bowlers.
Out even after winning the match in Sri Lanka
Irfan said, “My brother Yusuf Pathan and I had won the match in Sri Lanka. In that match, 60 runs were needed in the last 27-28 balls and we won from there. If any other player had done this, he would not have been out of the team for a year.” Even after this, he had to sit on the bench continuously during the New Zealand tour.
Gary Kirsten’s answer and Dhoni’s role
Irfan said that he asked head coach Gary Kirsten why he was out. Kirsten clearly said that “some decisions are not in my hands.” Irfan already knew that the decision was in the hands of the captain, and at that time Dhoni was the captain. Irfan said, “I do not want to question whether that decision was right or wrong, because every captain has the right to run his team.”
Importance of all-rounders and bitter truth
Irfan further said that at that time the importance of all-rounders was not as much as it is today. He said, “The team was looking for an all-rounder to bat at number 7. My brother was a batting all-rounder and I was a bowling all-rounder. Both were different, but there was space for only one. In today’s time, if you ask whether two all-rounders are needed or not, everyone will say yes.”