"Can't Pick And Choose": Irfan Pathan Slams Rohit Sharma For Missing Sydney Test vs Australia
Former Test skipper Rohit Sharma grabbed everyone's attention after he pulled out of the fifth and final Test against Australia is Sydney, earlier this year.
- Rohit Sharma withdrew from the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney earlier this year
- Irfan Pathan said Rohit should have fought to keep his place and fulfilled his captaincy role
- "Personally, I feel he should have fought for it — which I had said even back then, not just now," said Irfan
Former Test skipper Rohit Sharma grabbed everyone's attention after he pulled out of the fifth and final Test against Australia is Sydney, earlier this year. In January, India lost the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia 1-3, ending their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship Final. Rohit, who also missed the first game due to personal reasons, had a lukewarm outing in the three games and eventually pulled out of the final match as well and gave the captaincy to Jasprit Bumrah.
Recently, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was asked whether Rohit's move was a tactical one for the team's benefit or just a PR stunt to protect from the criticism after the poor show with the bat.
Replying to the query, Irfan stated that Rohit should have fought for his place in the team and fulfilled the role of a captain.
“Personally, I feel he should have fought for it, which I had said even back then, not just now. I think he should have played. When you're there, mate, if you're in the team, part of the team, the captain — even if you're just a player in the middle of a tournament — you can't pick and choose. You simply can't,” Irfan said on Lallantop.
“That's the responsibility of the team management, the captain, and the coach. But you can't pick and choose; you have to fight it out,” Irfan added.
Irfan, who had interviewed Rohit in Sydney, also revealed that the broadcasters were compelled to support the then India captain, despite his evident struggles in the format. Irfan admitted had Rohit not been the captain, he would've been dropped by the management.
"Rohit Sharma is an amazing player in white-ball cricket, but his average in Test cricket that year was 6, so we said that if he was not the captain, he would not have had a place in the team, and this is true," Pathan said in a snippet shared by Lallantop.
"People say that we supported Rohit Sharma more than necessary. Of course, when someone comes to interview on your broadcasting channel, you will not misbehave with them, right? You have invited him, so you will behave politely. When Rohit came to interview, we were, of course, polite, and we had to show that, because he was our guest. So that was connected and said we were supporting him, but it was we who said...we had said that he should keep fighting, but that said, he should not have had a place in the playing XI. If he was not the captain of the team, he would have been dropped," he added.
India Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team
Rohit Sharma
Irfan Pathan