Mumbai, March 02: For the second time in less than a year, Irfan Pathan has been left out of a list, which selectors believe is of the best 30 cricketers in the country. Last July, the all-rounder did not find his name among the probables for the Champions Trophy.
This time he has not figured in the list for the World Twenty20 that begins in the West Indies on April 30.
Pathan isn’t fully fit now. But the medical opinion is that he will be ready in about 20 days. The World Twenty20 is two months away before which Pathan will get the opportunity to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“I should be match-fit in two to two-and-a-half weeks. I have a back strain that first troubled me after the Duleep Trophy final,” Pathan said on Monday.
“I went to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for my rehabilitation and on February 15 the physio stated that I should be fit in four to six weeks. As I was at the NCA, I believe that the physio would have communicated my fitness status to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). I don’t believe there is a communication problem between me and the BCCI,” Pathan added.
Asked how disappointing it was not to be considered among the probables, Pathan said: “It does feel bad. But I don’t want to talk too much about it as my words maybe misunderstood or taken out of context. I am going to concentrate on playing at my best.
Cricket is my life but I need to understand that this (injuries) is also part and parcel of the game. The IPL is a great opportunity for me to perform well. I may miss one or two IPL matches but I should be fully fit for the rest for Kings XI Punjab.”
Looking ahead to the 2011 World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in early 2011, Pathan said: It is still a long way away. I am looking forward to be part of the World Cup team. Injuries have let me down but hopefully I should be at my peak during the IPL.”
—–Agencies