‘There are things that are not in my hand’- Former Indian player shares Gary Kirsten’s remarks while confirming his exclusion

Former Indian player Irfan Pathan’s arrival in international cricket created a wave of excitement. At just 19, he made his Test debut in Australia, a challenging stage for any youngster, and impressed instantly with his swing, pace, and precision.

His rise was quick — within a year, he earned a place in the ODI squad and soon became a fixture in all three formats. He was even part of India’s historic first T20I in 2006 against South Africa, cementing his reputation as a versatile all-rounder.

However, 2009 marked a turning point. Having already lost his Test spot the previous year, Irfan suffered another setback when he was dropped from the ODI team after a series against Sri Lanka. At that time, ODIs held far greater prominence than T20Is, making the blow even harder. The exclusion forced him into a three-year absence from the 50-over format, stalling the promising momentum of his career.

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Irfan Pathan Recalled the Incident of His ODI Dropout:

When Irfan Pathan returned to the ODI squad in 2012, India’s fast-bowling scene had evolved, with players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma securing their spots. Facing intense competition, he played only 12 more ODIs before gradually fading from the international stage, ultimately bringing his career to a close with his retirement in 2020.

Five years after retiring, Irfan Pathan opened up about the reasons and events that caused his exit from the Indian national cricket team. The left-arm pacer, also known for his lower-order batting, disclosed the explanation he received for being dropped and revealed that then-captain MS Dhoni made the decision to remove him from the squad, marking a turning point in his career.

While sharing the story in an interview with TheLallantop, Irfan Pathan said, “ It was back in 2009, when we were in New Zealand. Before that, my brother (Yusuf Pathan) and I had won matches in Sri Lanka. The situation in which we had pulled a win – if it had been anyone else in our place, they wouldn’t have been dropped for a year. In that match against Sri Lanka, we needed 60 runs from just 27–28 balls, and we won it from there.”

He added, “ In New Zealand, I was benched for the first match, the second match, and the third match as well. The fourth match was a draw because of rain. I wasn’t in the final match either. Then I asked Gary sir why I had been dropped. If there was something I needed to improve, he could tell me, but I wanted to know the reason I was left out.”

Irfan Pathan Talked About What Gary Kirsten:

Irfan Pathan stated that during Gary Kirsten’s coaching tenure, it became evident to him that MS Dhoni influenced the decision to drop him from India’s team. This moment confirmed his doubts about the circumstances surrounding his exclusion from the team.

He further said, “ Kirsten gave me two reasons. There are things that are not in my hand.’ Those were Gary’s exact words. I asked whose hands it was in, but he didn’t tell me. I already knew whose hands it was in. The playing XI is decided by the captain’s choice. The decision rests with the captain, coach, and management. Dhoni was the captain at that time. I won’t get into whether that decision was right or wrong, because every captain has the right to run the team in his own way.”

He concluded, “ The second answer was that they were looking for a batting all-rounder at No. 7. Fair enough — my brother was a batting all-rounder, while I was a bowling all-rounder. The two were different from each other, but there was only room for one in the team. Nowadays, if you ask whether two all-rounders are needed, people would gladly take both.”