Former Indian Cricketer Irfan Pathan recently raised concerns over the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to make a pool of players to be targeted for the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2023.
The left arm pacer claimed that Team India can’t have just 20 players and rotate them ahead of the World Cup which is just nine months away. At the Road to World Cup Glory’ show on Star Sports, Irfan said, “World Cup is still nine months away, you can’t have just 20 players and just rotate them and think that you’re going to find those players only above the rest.”
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“And it’s not happening, look at being a part of NCA in terms of coaching courses, and knowing those coaches what they have done now, they have had a clear communication on Indian cricket, with Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and the coaches,” he further added.
The legendary cricketer further raised questions over the recent report that BCCI will work with IPL Franchises to monitor and target the 20 players ahead of the World Cup.
Irfan said, “There were 33-target list of players, apart from the contracted list that we have, so that’s a very big pool of players we are talking about, not just 20. Twenty can’t be enough, because if something goes wrong with those 20, be it injuries or form, nine months is a long period of time you need a bigger pool of players, and this is where you’re going to find them. And those 33-target list of players, they can practise anytime, they can work with the coaches.”
Notably, the ODI World Cup is all set to take place in October and November in India. The BCCI is all geared up to prepare a potential squad ahead of the World Cup. Workload management of the players and injuries are some of the concerns for the team management.
