Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan was a part of the Indian team that won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa way back in 2007. There has been a lot of debate about whether the Men in Blue should send a young team to the T20 World Cup in June this year just like they did in 2007. However, Irfan Pathan claimed that it was a massive piece of misinformation that India had sent a young squad to the 2007 T20 World Cup. Irfan Pathan shed light on the experience that players like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, himself & MS Dhoni had.
Former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan feels that the victorious batch was well-experienced rather than young, ahead of the impending squad selection for the T20 World Cup 2024, fans have been recommending their favourites to feature in the team. Thanks to the Indian Premier League 2024, many uncapped players are proving their mettle on the biggest stage. Many are drawing parallels with the Indian team that went on to win the 2007 T20 World Cup terming it as a young brigade.
This is a myth that India won World Cup with a young team- Irfan Pathan
Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan was a part of the Indian team that won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa way back in 2007. There has been a lot of debate about whether the Men in Blue should send a young team to the T20 World Cup in June this year just like they did in 2007.
However, Pathan claimed that it was a massive piece of misinformation that India had sent a young squad to the 2007 T20 World Cup. He shed light on the experience that players like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, himself & MS Dhoni had.
The likes of Mayank Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Dhruv Jurel are indirectly contesting for the World Cup berth as fans can not keep calm over their performances. Several pundits have also flouted these youngster’s names ahead of the team selection conundrum. Irfan Pathan feels that to contest and win a tournament such as the World Cup, a team needs experience more than anything. He gave examples of his fellow teammates from 2007 and highlighted the experience they carried.
Irfan Pathan explained the importance of experience in such tournaments. On this, he told Star Sports:
“This is a myth that India won that World Cup with a young team. No, boss, we had experience. About 90% of the squad had proper three to six years of experience. And then we went into the World Cup, and we won the World Cup. Yes, age-wise we were young, but experienced. So when the pressure situation comes, you always bank on experience,”
Pathan also feels that IPL form should not be the ultimate parameter in selecting the players for India’s T20 World Cup squad. He shed light on the importance of acknowledging the performances given by the players for the Men in Blue in the recent past:
“Just because some players are performing well in the IPL, it doesn’t mean they should automatically be selected. In the IPL, there are always one or two uncapped bowlers who can be easily smacked due to small grounds and flat pitches,”
“However, international cricket is a different beast altogether. You’ll have five bowlers, each with a significant number of matches under their belt before entering the World Cup, bringing in tons of experience,”
Irfan Pathan bagged figures of 3/16 in the 2007 T20 World Cup final and also won the Player of the Match award for his performance.
Irfan Pathan on importance of senior players in India’s T20 World Cup squad
Irfan Pathan understands that modern-day T20 cricket has seen batters become more aggressive and demands that fearless brand of cricket. While he feels that the shortest format will see a lot of Indian youngsters getting opportunities, he believes the Men in Blue need experience for the showpiece event in June.
Pathan opined that the potential slowness in the surfaces in the West Indies and the USA will prompt India to back their experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He stated:
“Going forward, we might see a lot of youngsters participating in the T20 World Cup. However, this World Cup demands that selectors be particularly vigilant, especially given its location in the West Indies. And when the slowness of the game comes in, this is where the experience comes in,”
Several reports have emerged that India are likely to announce their T20 World Cup 2024 squad on May 1. It will be interesting to see how the side is composed given the competition for places.