"Knew whose hands it was in" - Another former India star opens up on being dropped by MS Dhoni

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed how he was dropped from the team during the white-ball series against New Zealand in 2009. The 40-year-old said that he was omitted despite having helped the Men in Blue win a T20I against Sri Lanka with his brother Yusuf Pathan.

Pathan said that he spoke to then head coach Gary Kirsten about his exclusion from the playing XI. His response made him think that it was MS Dhoni, who was perhaps behind his omission from the side. He told TheLallantop (via News18):

“In New Zealand, I was benched for the first match, the second match, and the third match as well. The fourth match was a draw because of rain. I wasn’t in the final match either. Then I asked Gary sir why I had been dropped. If there was something I needed to improve, he could tell me, but I wanted to know the reason I was left out.

“Kirsten gave me two reasons. He said, ‘There are things that are not in my hand.’ Those were Gary’s exact words. I asked whose hands it was in, but he didn’t tell me. I already knew whose hands it was in. The playing XI is decided by the captain’s choice. The decision rests with the captain, coach, and management. Dhoni was the captain at that time. I won’t get into whether that decision was right or wrong, because every captain has the right to run the team in his own way."

The 2007 T20 World Cup winner said that Kirsten told him that the team was in favor of having a batting all-rounder in the side. He added that in today's times, any side would pick both a batting as well as a bowling all-rounder. Pathan said:

“The second answer was that they were looking for a batting all-rounder at No. 7. Fair enough — my brother was a batting all-rounder, while I was a bowling all-rounder. The two were different from each other, but there was only room for one in the team. Nowadays, if you ask whether two all-rounders are needed, people would gladly take both."

Irfan Pathan's revelation comes after Virender Sehwag admits he too was dropped by MS Dhoni

Irfan Pathan's revelation comes a day after news emerged about former India opening batter Virender Sehwag revealing that he, too, was dropped after a few matches during the tri-nation series in Australia in 2008. The 46-year-old told sports commentator Padamjeet Sehrawat on his YouTube channel:

"In the 2007-08 series against Australia, I played the first three matches and then MS Dhoni dropped me from the side. I wasn't picked for a while after that."

The Sehwag added that he had considered retiring from ODIs after being omitted from the side. He revealed it took a conversation with Sachin Tendulkar for him to not quit playing 50-over cricket.