Irfan Pathan calls Bhuvneshwar Kumar's T20I selection a mistake
Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan questioned the timing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the T20I side during the series against New Zealand.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has questioned the decision to include Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the recent T20I series against New Zealand, according to the Times of India. Pathan stated that playing the experienced pacer was a mistake because the T20 World Cup is not imminent.
Bhuvneshwar returned to the T20I side after four years but took one wicket and conceded 180 runs across four matches. In the first T20I, he went wicketless and conceded 49 runs in four overs. He took one wicket by dismissing Daryl Mitchell in the second T20I but conceded 50 runs.
Pathan noted that while Bhuvneshwar is a good bowler and senior player, his inclusion was questionable given the timing. He suggested that playing him would have made more sense if the goal was preparing for the 50-over World Cup.
The former all-rounder also said that the selection meant young fast bowlers missed opportunities to gain international experience. Pathan mentioned that youngsters such as Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav could have played the matches to gain exposure on New Zealand soil.
Pathan clarified that his comments were not solely based on performance, noting that Bhuvneshwar was unlucky at times. He said the question remains about whether the timing would have been better for developing young fast bowlers on pitches with a low margin for error.