[In Pictures]"The laughter & the pleasure to be around you is what made last night special!"- Irfan Pathan after a get-together with Sachin Tendulkar
Former Indian cricketers Irfan Pathan and Sachin Tendulkar got together for a friendly meet-up on Monday night. The two cricketers played together for Team India in the 2000s.
Host Irfan took to his official X handle and shared a few photos to give fans a glimpse of Tendulkar's visit. In the photos, Sachin posed with Irfan's family members and presented a jersey to a kid.
Sharing the following post, Irfan Pathan wrote:
"The stories. The laughter & the pleasure to be around you is what made last night special! Looking forward to many more such nights @sachin_rt Paaji."
"About 90% of the squad had proper three to six years of experience" - Irfan Pathan on the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning Indian team
Irfan Pathan recently pointed out that the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning Indian team comprised experienced players. Pathan was the star performer for India in the final of that tournament against Pakistan with a match-winning spell of 3/16, which earned him the Player of the Match award.
There has been a buzz for selecting a young squad for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup like in 2007 due to the lack of success of senior players in the ICC tournaments over the past decade. However, the selectors did not pay heed and opted to choose an experienced squad with Rohit Sharma as captain.
Pathan backed the decision of selectors in a recent discussion on Star Sports, saying:
"It is a myth that India won that World Cup with a young team. No, boss, we had experience. About 90% of the squad had proper three to six years of experience. And then we went into the World Cup, and we won the World Cup. Yes, age-wise we were young, but experienced. So when the pressure situation comes, you always bank on experience."
He added:
"Just because some players are performing well in the IPL, it doesn't mean they should automatically be selected. In the IPL, there are always one or two uncapped bowlers who can be easily smacked due to small grounds and flat pitches."
Do you agree with Irfan's views above? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.