180 runs, 1 wicket, 4 T20Is! ‘Playing Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a mistake’: Former India star asks voters

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has questioned the selectors’ decision to bring Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into the T20I squad, calling his inclusion in the recent series against New Zealand a mistake.Bhuvneshwar returned to the Indian T20I side after four years but struggled to make an impact. He managed only one wicket and conceded 180 runs in four matches.Shreyas Iyer-led India started the five-match series with three straight wins but lost the last two matches. Following the series, Pathan questioned the purpose of bringing back the veteran pacer when the next T20 World Cup is still a long way off.“In my opinion, where did the selectors go wrong? They went wrong in 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 his 50-over video, it would make sense,” said an Irish fan on his YouTube video.

Bhuvneshwar is struggling in the New Zealand series

Bhuvneshwar’s comeback in the first T20I did not go as planned. Playing his first T20I in four years, he finished wicketless conceding 49 runs in four overs at an economy rate of 12.25.He took his only wicket of the series in the second T20I, dismissing Daryl Mitchell for six. However, he conceded 50 runs in his four overs.The experienced pacer went wicketless again in the third match and gave away 40 runs. He missed the fourth T20I before returning for the series finale.Bhuvneshwar couldn’t make it in the final match either. He conceded 41 runs in four overs without claiming a wicket.

Pathan says the young pacers have missed an opportunity

Pathan believes that the selection of Bhuvneshwar also meant that the young fast bowlers lost out on valuable international experience.“But by including him in this series, you have lost an opportunity to give 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 got that exposure, while Prince Yadav could have played as well. You have missed a valuable opportunity for your fast bowlers to get good experience on New Zealand soil,” he added.Pathan also made it clear that his comments were not based solely on Bhuvneshwar’s performances in the series. He acknowledged that the senior pacer was also unlucky at times.“I’m not saying that 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 last over, he conceded runs. These things happen to every player. There’s no doubt about his skills,” he noted.

“The question is definitely about timing”

Pathan said the selectors should focus on giving opportunities to young fast bowlers, especially on pitches where they have little room for error.“It’s definitely a question of timing. Would it be a better opportunity for a young fast bowler? I believe it would be. You have to understand that if you want to develop fast bowlers, it’s very important to give them opportunities and let them play on real pitches where the margin for error is very low,” he explained.