New Delhi. There is a celebrity culture in Indian cricket, which sometimes harms it. This is not the case in Australia. That is why they often get ahead of us. This is what India’s legendary all-rounder Irfan Pathan said. he/she mentioned celebrity culture when he/she was asked a question related to Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, which has links to IPL and Mumbai Indians.
How should coach Rahul Dravid handle the Rohit Sharma-Hardik Pandya issue before the T20 World Cup? When this question came up in a Cricinfo show, Irfan Pathan said, ‘Australia does not have a celebrity culture. Fortunately or unfortunately, it is in India. Although, I would like that there should be a balance between India and Australia regarding this culture. Many times, we do not get any benefit from this celebrity culture. But we are Indians, not Australians. We Indians have different emotions. Moral values are different. The mindset is also different.’
Giving his/her answer on the Rohit-Hardik issue, Irfan Pathan says, ‘I think Hardik Pandya will play an important role in the T20 World Cup. Keep in mind that there are only three specialist bowlers in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. Hardik will be the fourth bowler. If he/she performs well, India will get the permission to have an extra spinner in the team, who will prove to be important on the pitches of America. India has to play matches during the day in America. There will be no dew during the day and spinners can take advantage of this.’
Irfan Pathan then takes the question of Rohit-Hardik forward and gives the example of Greg Chappell. he/she says, ‘Greg Chappell’s aggressive style backfired. he/she wanted to bring Australian culture to the Indian team, in which there is no celebrity status for anyone. But Chappell could not do this and in the end he/she had to leave the post of coach. Whereas there was no lack in Chappell’s intentions. he/she wanted to take the Indian team forward. But he/she could not find the right way.’
tag: hardik pandya, Indian Cricket Team, Irfan Pathan, Rohit Sharma, T20 World Cup, Team India
first published : June 3, 2024, 08:15 IST
