Irfan Pathan axed due to non-cricketing reasons

Sunday evening had a lot of action in store with Team India playing New Zealand in the series-deciding ODI at Kanpur but Baroda stole its share of the spotlight in the news. The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) selectors announced the team for their next match against Tripura and named Deepak Hooda as the captain, axing Irfan Pathan not just from captaincy but also from his spot in the team.

While the BCA cited that it was the selection committee’s decision to entrust the responsibility on a new skipper since they were playing against a relatively easier opponent and at home. But when CricTracker tried to contact the selectors’ none including the chairman of selectors Leslee Fernandes responded to questions. A fellow member of the panel admitted that they weren’t allowed to comment on it.

Digging deeper into the matter we understand that Irfan who was appointed the captain ahead of the start of the season and entrusted with the responsibility to groom youngsters and to mentor the team had indeed fallen as he didn’t bow down on team selection.

Selection politics?

A source who was in the privy of the developments told CricTracker, “The selectors asked Irfan to pick a particular spinner in the XI for the Andhra match. Irfan didn’t agree since it was a green wicket and being a spinner, he would struggle. The intention was to plant his failure and ouster him from the team eventually. Irfan disagreed and clarified that he wouldn’t play with someone’s career just like that.”

“This didn’t go down well with the selectors and as they had the next opportunity to sit down and pick a team, they appointed Hooda as the captain to send across a message that those who didn’t do what they asked will have a similar fate,” the source added.

Overage selector

Interestingly the Baroda selection committee also features one man who is above 70 years of age. This gentleman is Leslee Fernandes, the chairman of selectors. And we very well know that according to the Supreme Court order on Lodha recommendations Leslee has no authority to sit there. And those commanding roles will take decisions of this foolish magnitude, questions will naturally be raised and they must be. It is time for the BCCI and COA to intervene and take stock of the situation. If the Lodha recommendations have to be adhered with, then Leslee Fernandes needs to be on his way out with immediate effect.

Drama in the previous season

The all-rounder wasn’t a part of the Baroda team for the initial part of the previous Ranji season. When he indicated that other associations were interested to have him on board given his vast experience and mentoring abilities the BCA didn’t just bring him back in the team but also handed him the captaincy. He has again reinstated as skipper ahead of the start of the current season but only for two games.

Irfan on his part hasn’t spoken about the issue but when contacted did say that neither his performance, fitness or discipline was an issue and that the BCA would have the answers. “Performance isn’t the issue. Fitness isn’t an issue. Discipline isn’t an issue. The reason you can find out from BCA,” he said.

On the same evening, he also posted a tweet with an encrypted message. “Not wishing Good Morning & not being a YES man to ur boss can go against u…but don’t bother,keep doing ur work #keepfighting #keeptrying”

If this is an indication, things aren’t going well in the association and this will certainly reflect on the morale of the team. In the initial two matches of the season, Baroda were defeated by a superior Madhya Pradesh and they conceded a first-innings lead against Andhra.