Image Source: BCCI
[Saba Sports News] Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has publicly urged the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to reconsider their focus on star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, advocating for strategies that prioritize the broader needs of the Indian team. This call for change followed discussions among pundits about India’s potential lineup for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
Pathan expressed concerns over Pandya’s recent form, suggesting that his performances have not justified the extent of attention he receives. Speaking on Star Sports Press Room Show, Pathan stated, “What I feel about Hardik Pandya is that Indian cricket needs to make it clear that they should not give him that much priority as they have given him so far, because we still haven’t won the World Cup. And if you think you are a primary all-rounder, you need to make that kind of an impact at the international level.”
He further noted, “As far as the all-rounder is concerned, he hasn’t made that impact at the international level; we are only thinking about the potential. We are getting confused between the IPL performances and the international performances. That’s a big difference.”
Pathan also criticized the selective participation of players in different formats, emphasizing the need for consistency. “First of all, he needs to play throughout the full year. He cannot pick and choose. Indian cricket needs to stop doing that. Stop giving preferences to individuals, if you do that, you will not be winning major tournaments,” he asserted.
Drawing a comparison to Australia’s cricket strategy, Pathan highlighted their success in fostering a team-oriented approach, “What Australia has been doing for many years is that they are actually preferring the team game. Making everyone a superstar. Not one superstar, everybody is a superstar in the squad. If you don’t do that, you will not win big tournaments,” he concluded.