- He warned against delaying opportunities for promising fast bowlers.
Irfan Pathan has lashed out at the national selection committee over the non-selection of Jammu & Kashmir’s star fast bowler Aquib Nabi. Despite a sensational run in domestic cricket and impressive performances for India A, the right-arm pacer was left out of the Indian Test squad selected for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
Pathan voiced strong disagreement with the selectors’ decisions, questioning why top domestic performers are not being rewarded when the opportunity presents itself.
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Disappointment Over Selection Logic
Expressing his frustration, Irfan Pathan stated that he found the selectors’ criteria puzzling, especially given that Nabi was overlooked even for the lone Test against Afghanistan, where he only traveled as a net bowler.
“To be honest, I don’t have any logical answer as to why Nabi wasn’t selected,” Pathan told Sportstar. “I didn’t understand the selection process. Mohammad Siraj is your main bowler. When Jasprit Bumrah isn’t there, Siraj becomes your No. 1 bowler. So, what was the need to play him in a Test match against Afghanistan that wasn’t even part of the World Test Championship?”
Pathan argued that matches outside the World Test Championship frame offered the perfect setting to blood new talent rather than heavily overloading primary international pacers.
“If domestic performance matters, then why didn’t you reward Aquib? That was the best opportunity to play him and test him at that level,” Pathan added.
Key Role In Jammu & Kashmir’s Historic Run
Aquib Nabi earned widespread recognition following a stellar domestic season where he emerged as a crucial architect of Jammu & Kashmir’s historic Ranji Trophy triumph. His ability to deliver impactful spells under pressure grabbed nation-wide attention, most notably during the final when he troubled veteran India batter KL Rahul.
Nabi proved his consistency once again during the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka, taking six wickets across two four-day matches. Despite excelling across both domestic fixtures and India A assignments, the senior national team call-up continued to elude him.
Evaluating Bowlers Beyond Raw Pace
Pathan stressed that selection criteria must look beyond sheer velocity, pointing out that Nabi possesses the necessary skill set to succeed at the highest level.
“People talk about high speed, but you have to look at how a bowler is beating the batter. Is he troubling the best batters in domestic cricket? He has done that consistently. Even in the Ranji Trophy final, he troubled a senior batter like KL Rahul, and everyone saw that. Therefore, his performance should have been rewarded,” Pathan emphasized.
Warning against unnecessary delays in giving promising pacers a chance, Pathan cautioned that holding players back risks wasting the best years of their physical prime:
“Delaying opportunities for promising fast bowlers can lead to India losing out on the precious peak years of their careers.”
