BCCI Sent Big 'Missed Opportunity' Message Over Squad Selection For West Indies Test Series

Former Indian cricket team all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that the BCCI missed an opportunity to give chance to a young fast bowler in the upcoming Test series against West Indies. India went with three specialist pacers in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna for the series. However, Pathan was of the opinion that although it was great news that Bumrah will feature in both matches, this is a good chance to include a young pacer and work on their development.

"It seems like a missed opportunity not to play a young fast bowler in these two Tests, but that's the team's current direction. If I were a selector or manager, I would have surely tried to give a young fast bowler an opportunity, focusing on their development, not just quick results. Bumrah remains committed to Test cricket, which is fantastic," he said on his YouTube channel.

"In England, his matches were carefully scheduled; selectors and team management managed him well. Playing a match, then getting a break, and so on. For this home series, India has a real chance to manage his workload efficiently, as bowlers don't work as hard in Indian conditions. Still, it's good that Bumrah maintains Test cricket as his priority. Selectors could have utilized this series to give proper rest to Bumrah and groom a young fast bowler, something India must prioritize for long-term vision. India needs a group of eight good fast bowlers, not just three or four," he added.

Pathan also wondered who can replace R Ashwin in the India squad and although the squad has the likes of Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, he believes that their skillset is not similar to Ashwin.

"Who will fill that Ashwin role? Washington Sundar brings some qualities, but he doesn't have all of Ashwin's traits: the drift, the variations, the carrom ball, even occasional leg spin, Ashwin was an explorer. His bowling action was always clean, unlike many other off-spinners globally whose actions were questioned. Ashwin's skill set made him unique. Jadeja supported Ashwin well, but now someone new must step up for that role. Could it be Kuldeep Yadav or Washington Sundar, or even Axar Patel? Each offers something different," the former India cricketer concluded.

Topics mentioned in this article

Irfan Pathan Jasprit Bumrah India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team India vs West Indies 2025 Cricket