Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for bringing Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into the Indian bowling setup after a four-year absence.
However, Kumar's return has been a mixed bag, as he failed to deliver consistent performances in the four T20Is against New Zealand.
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Pathan believes that including Kumar in India's T20I bowling setup does not make much sense, given that the T20 World Cup is still some time away.
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His comments come after India lost the last two T20Is against New Zealand, despite having already secured the series by winning the first three matches.
"In my opinion, where did the selectors go wrong? They made a mistake by playing Bhuvneshwar Kumar in this series. Look, there is no doubt that Bhuvneshwar is a good bowler and a senior player. However, playing him here, when the T20 World Cup is nowhere near, was questionable. If you were preparing Bhuvneshwar for the 50-over World Cup, which is closer, that would have made sense," Irfan said in a video on his YouTube channel.
"By including him in this series, however, you missed out on giving young fast bowlers an opportunity. A youngster could have played in his place and gained valuable experience. Mayank [Yadav] could have played all the matches and gained that exposure, while Prince Yadav could have played too. You missed a valuable opportunity for your fast bowlers to gain good experience on New Zealand soil," he added.
Irfan cleared his stance that his criticism was not a reflection of Bhuvneshwar's skill, despite the veteran pacer failing to make a lethal impact during the five-match T20I series against the Kiwis.
In the four games he participated in the series, Bhuvesnhwar Kumar only claimed one wicket and conceded runs at an economy rate of almost eleven.
"I'm not saying this because Bhuvneshwar didn't perform well. That's not the case. Although he was a bit unlucky-he bowled well in his first two overs, but later, when he bowled the final over of the powerplay, he conceded runs. These things happen to any player. There is no question about his skill," he noted.
Irfan believes that instead of bringing back a 36-year-old pacer, selectors should invest in young bowlers like Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, and others.
"The question is definitely about the timing. Would this have been a better opportunity for a young fast bowler? I believe it would have been. You have to understand that if you want to develop fast bowlers, it is very important to give them opportunities and let them play on true pitches, where the margin for error is very low," he concluded.
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