Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lastly damaged his silence on hypothesis surrounding his exit from the IPL 2025 broadcast panel. Talking in an interview with TheLallantop, Pathan hinted that his ouster from the commentary panel might need been attributable to his criticism of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, fairly seemingly in the course of the latter’s first season as Mumbai Indians captain.
Pathan was fast to emphasize that his commentary is rooted in professionalism, not private bias. “If I am criticising you in 7 matches out of 14, I am nonetheless being lenient. That’s our job as broadcasters,” Pathan responded after being requested in regards to the participant who influenced his IPL exit.
For the previous all-rounder, constructive evaluation is a core a part of the position, and he rejected any suggestion of private grudges.
In actual fact, Pathan careworn his historical past of supporting gamers from Baroda, together with Hardik himself. “There isn’t any rivalry. All of the Baroda gamers who’ve come after me, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya or Hardik Pandya, none of them can say that Irfan-Yusuf didn’t assist them,” he stated, drawing consideration to the steerage he and his brother Yusuf have provided over time. He added that it included assist in arranging sponsorships and placing in phrase for the gamers.
The previous fast-bowling all-rounder recalled a telling second from over a decade in the past, when he had tried to open doorways for a younger Hardik Pandya. Again in 2012, Pathan beneficial the budding all-rounder to Sunrisers Hyderabad, solely to see the chance slip away.
“VVS Laxman admitted on Star Sports activities, that he was at fault for not listening to me, and never selecting Hardik in 2012. If he had picked him then, Hardik would have performed for Hyderabad,” Pathan revealed.
Pathan on defending Hardik
Pathan additionally pointed to moments the place he publicly defended Hardik. Specifically, he highlighted his assist for the all-rounder in the course of the backlash from Mumbai Indians followers in 2024, after Rohit Sharma was faraway from captaincy and Pandya confronted hostile therapy. Based on Pathan, his commentary is all the time directed on the cricket, not the person.
“There’s nothing improper in criticising the participant, in the event you play, it’s important to undergo that. It occurred with Sunil Gavaskar, the good Sachin Tendulkar… they by no means made anybody really feel, they had been greater than the sport. However I am in opposition to the derogatory phrases used in opposition to Pandya,” Pathan clarified.
