Irfan Pathan targets Hardik Pandya after BCCI drops Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan from central contracts

BCCI has dropped Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from central contracts for 2023-24 season.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took a big step by snubbing Indian players Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the central contracts for 2023–24 season. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan came in support of Ishan and Iyer and said both Indian cricketers would bounce back and come back stronger.

The former all-rounder Irfan Pathan also targeted Hardik Pandya and said he doesn’t play red-ball cricket but he should participate in the white-ball domestic tournaments if he is not on national duty. This tweet came after the richest cricket board released their central contracts list for 2023-24 season.

The BCCI said in a statement that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, who were in Grade B and C respectively in the last central contracts list, were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations. The BCCI also notified all contracted players to participate in domestic cricket during periods when they are not on national duty.

Hoping they bounce back and come back stronger: Irfan Pathan on Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan

Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer underwent back surgery last year and then made a comeback to the Indian side after gaining full fitness. The right-handed batter was one of the crucial players for India in the ODI World Cup 2023, where he notched up more than 500 runs, including a match-winning century in the semi-finals against New Zealand.

However, Iyer, who was part of the five-match India vs England test series, was left out of the Indian squad for the last three test matches after he failed to perform in the first two test matches. Even after getting released from Indian squad, Iyer didn’t participate in domestic tournaments and claimed he is injured, which was rubbished by the NCA. This might be one of the reasons why Iyer got snubbed from the central contracts.

On the other hand, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid recommended Ishan Kishan to play red-ball cricket, but he instead chose to prepare for the IPL. Kishan pulled out of the test series against South Africa citing ‘personal reason and mental fatigue.’ The left-handed batter was also not included in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and was also left out from the five-match test series against England.

The exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan sparked discussions within the cricket community, with some questioning the BCCI’s reasoning. Former cricketer Irfan Pathan also reacted to the same and questioned all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s absence from domestic cricket. Irfan also iterated if the rule doesn’t apply to all players, then the BCCI’s policy won’t bring desired results.

“They are talented cricketers, both Shreyas and Ishan. Hoping they bounce back and come back stronger. If players like Hardik don’t want to play red ball cricket, should he and others like him participate in white-ball domestic cricket when they aren’t on national duty? If this doesn’t apply to all, then Indian cricket won’t achieve the desired results,” Irfan Pathan wrote on his ‘X’ (formerly twitter) handle.

Despite being released from their central contracts, both Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer will be available to play for India. The Indian cricket team’s selection is based on performance and fitness, and it is not limited to players on the BCCI’s annual contracts list.

The BCCI’s statement placed emphasis on the importance of players prioritizing domestic cricket when not involved in national duty. This reiterates the board’s commitment to nurturing talent and maintaining a strong connect between the national team and the domestic circuit.

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