Irfan Pathan opens about being dropped from the Indian cricket team in 2009
Irfan Pathan recently opened up about his controversial exit from the Indian cricket team, recalling how former captain MS Dhoni played a key role in sidelining him despite his consistent performances. Irfan, who made his international debut in 2003 at just 18 during a Test match against Australia, quickly rose through the ranks with his ability to swing the ball both ways. His prowess with the bat also added immense value, making him a reliable all-rounder across formats. However, things began to shift during the 2009 tour of New Zealand. Irfan revealed that despite performing well and contributing to India's victories, he was dropped for four of the five One Day Internationals.
The fifth game was eventually abandoned due to rain, leaving him without a single ODI appearance on the tour. He was also excluded from the Test squad and was only included in two T20 Internationals. The exclusion came as a shock not just to him, but to fans as well, who felt he still had much to offer. Irfan's revelations have reignited conversations around team selection dynamics during Dhoni’s captaincy era, especially concerning players who were performing but still found themselves on the sidelines without clear explanations.
"In New Zealand, I was benched for the first match, the second match, and the third match as well. The fourth match was a draw because of rain. I wasn't in the final match either. Then I asked Gary sir why I had been dropped. If there was something I needed to improve, he could tell me, but I wanted to know the reason I was left out," stated former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan.
Irfan Pathan also shared details of a revealing conversation he had with then head coach Gary Kirsten, which gave him clarity on why he was being excluded from the Indian team. According to Irfan, Kirsten cited two primary reasons behind his omission, though he did not publicly disclose what those reasons were. However, what stood out to Irfan was the realization that the decisions were not entirely in the coach’s hands.
The interaction made it evident to him that it was MS Dhoni, the captain at the time, who had the final say in team selections and didn’t see a place for him in the squad. Despite contributing consistently with both bat and ball, Irfan felt sidelined due to decisions taken beyond just performance metrics. His account shed light on how captaincy influence can sometimes outweigh other factors in selection processes, even when a player is in good form.
"Kirsten gave me two reasons. He said, 'There are things that are not in my hand.' Those were Gary's exact words. I asked whose hands it was in, but he didn't tell me. I already knew whose hands it was in. The playing XI is decided by the captain's choice. The decision rests with the captain, coach, and management. Dhoni was the captain at that time. I won't get into whether that decision was right or wrong, because every captain has the right to run the team in his own way," Irfan added.
"The second answer was that they were looking for a batting all-rounder at No. 7. Fair enough - my brother was a batting all-rounder, while I was a bowling all-rounder. The two were different from each other, but there was only room for one in the team. Nowadays, if you ask whether two all-rounders are needed, people would gladly take both," he concluded.
