×

IPL 2016: MS Dhoni’s handling of Irfan Pathan defies cricketing logic

Irfan, in his 29 Tests, has scored runs at 31.57 and picked wickets at 32.26 and the numbers may not tell it all but they do not lie.

Related articles

Irfan Pathan has played only one match in IPL 2016 so far © Getty Images
Irfan Pathan has played only one match in IPL 2016 so far © Getty Images

He has a Test century to his name. He claimed a Test hat-trick. Irfan Pathan was tipped to be the next ‘Kapil Dev’ of Indian cricket. Genuine all-rounders are a rare breed in international cricket and Irfan was special. Off-form with the ball and frequent injuries hampered his progress but little more support from the ones calling shots, could have resurrected a fading career that promised a lot. Andrew Flintoff, the great all-rounder that he was, scored runs at 31.77 in Test cricket and claimed 226 wickets from 79 Tests at 32.78. Irfan, in his 29 Tests, has scored runs at 31.57 and picked wickets at 32.26. The numbers may not tell it all but they do not lie. Unfortunately, Irfan last played a Test in 2008 when he was still 23. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: RISING PUNE SUPERGIANTS vs GUJARAT LIONS, IPL 2016, MATCH 25

A big name in the Indian Premier League (IPL), both the Pathan brothers fetched lot of moolahs during the initial parts of the tournament. In 2015, Irfan was united with his long-time friend and skipper MS Dhoni in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp. He was injured initially but then not picked. He missed out on 17 matches and even the likes of Ronit More (a young pacer with handful of experience) were preferred ahead of him.

That is not all. New franchise Rising Pune Supergainsts (RPS) named Dhoni as their skipper for the 2016 edition and Irfan’s stupendous show in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy saw him being bought by RPS. Not only did he lead Baroda to the runners-up position but also ended with most wickets at 15.76. Adding 200 runs to that at 40 and at a strike rate of almost 153. In fact, he almost made it to India’s Asia Cup and ICC World T20 2016 squads but keeping the subcontinent conditions in mind, they went ahead with the spin bowling all-rounder option of Pawan Negi.

From a national team contender in T20s to someone once again cooling heels in the dugout, Irfan’s fortunes did not change. He spent the first two games for RP Singh the dugout. In fact, Dhoni chose his dear friend RP Singh ahead of Irfan. Who can forget the infamous RP recall in the 2011 when Dhoni summoned the bowler from his vacation, to England. An unfit RP delivered by bowling an over, which was termed, ‘the worst first over in history of Test cricket’ by another great all-rounder, Ian Botham. Now, that is for some other time.

It was only after RP went for 51 in his five overs in two games; Irfan was brought in. Guess what? Defending a small total, against Kings XI Punjab, Irfan, who was once India’s strike bowler, was brought into the attack in the 10th over by Dhoni. He went for seven and that was it. He did not bowl any more and was dropped from the next game.

The way Dhoni has used Ravichandran Ashwin so far in the tournament, has raised several questions. He dropped India’s premier bowler from a couple of crucial ODIs in Australia, under bowled him in World T20 and has meted a treatment like a part-time bowler to him in this IPL. At least, Ashwin has got to play the matches and delivered against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the last game but under Dhoni, in IPL, Irfan has played one match out of the 23 games he could have played.

That does not help the case of a 31-year old skillful all-rounder, who is still vying for a national comeback. Perhaps the man, who won Dhoni the inaugural World T20 final in 2007, deserves better than that.

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer , strategist, entrepreneur,  philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)

trending this week