India clinched three consecutive wins under captain Shreyas Iyer before dropping the final two matches of the five-match series. Bhuvneshwar Kumar endured a challenging recall, conceding at least 40 runs in every appearance and taking just one wicket in four games. Irfan Pathan noted on his YouTube channel that fielding the veteran bowler deprived young pacers of vital international exposure in foreign conditions.
Key points
Irfan Pathan argued that selectors should have prioritized the closer 50-over World Cup r…: Irfan Pathan argued that selectors should have prioritized the closer 50-over World Cup rather than recalling the veteran for T20Is.
Emerging pacers Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav lost valuable overseas playing experience d…: Emerging pacers Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav lost valuable overseas playing experience due to the veteran's selection.
Pathan maintained that his criticism targeted the poor timing of the selection rather tha…: Pathan maintained that his criticism targeted the poor timing of the selection rather than Bhuvneshwar Kumar's bowling ability.
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NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder
Irfan Pathan has questioned the selectors' decision to bring
Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into the T20I team, calling his inclusion in the recent series against New Zealand a mistake.
Bhuvneshwar returned to India's T20I side after a gap of four years but struggled to make an impact. He managed just one wicket while conceding 180 runs in four matches.
India, led by Shreyas Iyer, started the five-match series with three consecutive wins but lost the final two games. Following the series, Pathan questioned the purpose of bringing back the experienced pacer when the next T20 World Cup is still some distance away.
"In my opinion, where did the selectors go wrong? They made a mistake by playing Bhuvneshwar Kumar in this series. Look, there is no doubt that Bhuvneshwar is a good bowler and a senior player. However, playing him here, when the T20 World Cup is nowhere near, was questionable. If you were preparing Bhuvneshwar for the 50-over World Cup, which is closer, that would have made sense," Irfan said in a video on his…
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