‘One who doesn’t want to answer….’- Former India player criticizes MS Dhoni once more after Irfan Pathan clip resurfaces

Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has reignited his criticism of MS Dhoni following the resurfacing of the viral “hookah” controversy linked to Irfan Pathan.

The controversy stemmed from Pathan’s 2020 interview, where he suggested Dhoni favored certain players over others during team selection. Those remarks have resurfaced on social media, sparking widespread debates and memes.

Reacting to the matter, Yograj Singh once again voiced his displeasure with Dhoni’s leadership style. He claimed that favoritism within the team hurt the careers of many deserving cricketers, including Pathan. The former all-rounder’s fresh comments have further fueled discussions, keeping the focus firmly on Dhoni and the long-standing debate over fairness in Indian cricket selections.

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Yograj Singh Comments on the Viral “Hookah” Controversy:

Irfan Pathan was left out of the Indian team after the 2012 season, a time when MS Dhoni was leading the side across formats. Interestingly, the two had earlier shared success in India’s historic 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, where Pathan’s match-winning performance in the final against Pakistan earned him the Player of the Match award.

Addressing the ongoing Dhoni-Pathan hookah controversy in an interview with Inside Sport, Yograj Singh didn’t hold back. He commented strongly on the issue, suggesting that such incidents reflected larger concerns about team culture and selection practices during Dhoni’s tenure.

Yograj Singh said, “ It is not only about Irfan Pathan. You see Gautam Gambhir speaking about it. Virender Sehwag openly said about it as well. Harbhajan Singh spoke about how he was put out of the team like a fly. You should arrange a jury on why he did what he did. MS Dhoni doesn’t want to answer. One who doesn’t want to answer has a guilty conscience.”

Irfan Pathan missed India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad and featured in only three ODIs between 2009 and 2011. However, he returned in 2012 as a regular, playing 12 matches that year, before being permanently dropped from the national setup.

Yograj Singh Criticizes MS Dhoni’s Treatment Towards Specific Players:

Yograj Singh criticized MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev, and Bishan Singh Bedi, raising concerns about how they treated specific players. While questioning them, he acknowledged Dhoni and Kapil’s achievements, highlighting their distinction as India’s only ODI World Cup-winning captains, with Dhoni also guiding India to the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy triumphs.

He further said, “ I talk about Bishan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni. I can talk about people whom I have been with. They have treated people like shit. Jo galat hai wo galat hai. Two wrongs cannot make one right. I say this openly, that our cricketers and team were destroyed by our captain.”