Irfan Pathan questions the non-selection of a domestic giant in the Test squad

As India gear for the first Test against England in Hyderabad, there have been ample talks about the unavailability of Virat Kohli and his replacement for the first two Tests.
 By Darpan Jain Jan 24, 2024, 22:36 IST
Irfan Pathan is a good player.?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4
Since Patidar has been announced as a replacement player, there have been questions about his inclusion over a few consistent domestic performers.

As India gear for the first Test against England in Hyderabad, there have been ample talks about the unavailability of Virat Kohli and his replacement for the first two Tests. Virat will miss the first two Tests due to personal reasons, leaving a massive void to fill. His replacement was announced last night, with Rajat Patidar set to be in the squad in Kohli’s absence.

Since Patidar has been announced as a replacement player, there have been questions about his inclusion over a few consistent domestic performers. The team might have considered his recent performances for India A against the England Lions, which included two tons. Patidar also has a compact technique to counter pacers and spinners adeptly.

The Indian Captain, Rohit Sharma, explained the reasoning behind Patidar’s selection. He stated that while management thought to go with an experienced player, selecting a youngster in favourable conditions was wise. According to him, exposing them to extreme batting conditions overseas is unfair.

Also Read: CAB President furious at former RCB player for not answering call

However, the move doesn’t go well with Irfan Pathan. He took a dig at the exclusion of a domestic stalwart. Irfan shared a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Irfan Pathan questions the non-selection of Sarfaraz Khan in the Test squad

Irfan Pathan took to his X account to express his disappointment with Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion from the Test squad. He shared a screenshot of Sarfaraz Khan’s 1st class numbers on the match eve. Irfan wrote a cheeky caption with the screenshot.

“If you are him and not getting selected for test cricket, what are you thinking???” wrote Irfan Pathan with an image containing Sarfaraz’s 1st class stats.

It is indeed harsh on Sarfaraz Khan to be ignored consistently. First, Dhruv Jurel was selected ahead of Sarfaraz in the original squad, raising several eyebrows. Then, when Virat Kohli was out, Sarfaraz was supposed to take his place in the Test squad for the first two games.

However, Rajat Patidar was preferred, a move criticised by plenty of experts and fans. Sarfaraz has been a prolific run-scorer for his domestic side in the last couple of years. No other batter has been as consistent as Sarfaraz.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.

From around the web