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'Imperative That Every Player Is Treated Fairly' - Pathan Criticises Hardik's Selection For T20 World Cup 

Hardik Pandya in T20 World Cup 2022 (X.com)Hardik Pandya in T20 World Cup 2022 (X.com)

India's squad for T20 World Cup 2024 is out and Hardik Pandya has been named as the vice-captain of the side despite not playing any game for India since his unfortunate injury during World Cup 2023.

He was leading the Men in Blue though till then in the shortest format in the absence of Rohit Sharma, and selectors have kept faith in the all-rounder as a potential next-in-the-line leader which has not gone well with many cricket pundits. One of them being Irfan Pathan who has criticised the unfair treatment given to some players in India's selection process.

He mentioned that there were some selections in the 2022 T20 World Cup which did not go with the principles of Indian cricket and added that to succeed in the tournament like World Cup, it is important that every player is treated fairly.

"I've witnessed things in the past, particularly during the T20 World Cup last year, that went against the principles of Indian cricket—instances where certain players were given undue advantage, which is unacceptable. To succeed in tournaments like the World Cup, it's imperative that every player is treated fairly and equally."

He also took an indirect dig at selectors by stating that Hardik has returned for the T20 World Cup without fulfilling basic requirements, and added that it sends a wrong message to the rest of the team. The former pacer also felt that the special treatment for a single player disrupts the team environment and it is not good for a team sport.

"There's this one player (Hardik) who returns from injury without fulfilling the same requirements. That shouldn't happen because it sends the wrong message to the rest of the team. When they see one player receiving special treatment, it disrupts the team environment. Cricket isn't like tennis; it's a team sport where equality is vital."

India will kick-off their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on 5th of June with Rohit Sharma leading the pack full of superstars.