"Mohammed Siraj is yet to become your lead bowler" - Former India all-rounder's blunt criticism ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has criticized Mohammed Siraj for his inability to develop into a lead bowler amid reports that Jasprit Bumrah might miss the second Test in England. The cricketer-turned-analyst wants the team management to throw the speedster into the lion’s den to see whether he can deliver.

The remarks came even as Siraj failed to support Bumrah in the opening Test of the five-match series, managing just two wickets as India lost by five wickets. Notably, the speedster has played the second-most Tests (37) in the current fast bowling unit after Bumrah (46).

Siraj’s performance was also under the scanner during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. He bagged 20 wickets in five Tests at a strike rate of 47.15 as the visitors lost the five-match series by a 1-3 margin.

Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel:

“5:45 – Now the situation for Gautam Gambhir is that you’ve to go ahead with youngsters. It’s a challenge because the previous regime went forward with a different mindset. Whether you want it or not, you don’t have experienced bowlers. Prasidh Krishna – 4 Tests, Akash Deep – 7 Tests, Arshdeep is yet to make his debut."

"Mohammed Siraj is yet to become your lead bowler. If he’ll bowl, then he’ll become your lead bowler for that he has to dive deep into the ocean. He has to face the waves then only we’ll know how much potential he has. Unless he does it, you won’t know,” he added.

Citing England pacer Chris Woakes’ example, the 40-year-old also pointed out how Mohammed Shami might face difficulty in delivering instantly whenever he makes a comeback after a lengthy injury layoff. He continued:

“5:10- Are we ready to play without Bumrah and Shami? Look, Shami will return after injury because it’s not easy. Chris Woakes came back after injury in the first Test. He needs time to get back into the rhythm. He took just one wicket. Everyone takes time, Shami will also take time.”

“The same thing applies here” – Irfan Pathan backs Gautam Gambhir to turn things around for India in England

Irfan Pathan further backed India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, to turn things around for India, especially in grooming fast bowlers, which Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid failed during their coaching tenures. He explained how Gambhir delivered as a leader for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during his Indian Premier League (IPL) career.

Pathan said in the same interaction:

“6:25 – The situation is that you have to move forward and prepare without Bumrah. Gautam Gambhir is a coach who can handle criticism. When KKR had no titles, he became captain. He chose players and gave them opportunities. Sunil Narine, Andre Russell. Other players also came along. Bisla performed exceedingly well in the final. They backed Yusuf Pathan regularly, and they became champions under Gambhir’s regime.”

“One thing was there he used to face criticism as a leader, the same thing applies here. If Shubman Gill makes a mistake, he’ll be able to handle it in the press or wherever possible. He brings stability. You make mistakes as a youngster, and I’ll see what to do off the field. Fast bowlers will benefit, but for that, they need to play regularly,” he added.

Pathan also suggested the team should create fast bowling reserves instead of solely depending on Jasprit Bumrah. He concluded:

“7:50 – I think we have to adapt to playing without Bumrah. When he’s fit and available, he should play, but the more we play young fast bowlers and give them stability, then only we can grow the team and the players. Otherwise, it will get tough. Hopefully, the selectors and management will go in the right direction, which we might witness going forward.”

Notably, Irfan Pathan has played 29 Tests for India. He also represented the Men in Blue in 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is. He picked up a combined 301 wickets and scored 2,821 runs across formats.