"It is a myth that India won 2007 T20 World Cup with a young team"- Irfan Pathan
Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan was a part of the Indian team that won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa way back in 2007. There has been a lot of debate about whether the Men in Blue should send a young team to the T20 World Cup in June this year just like they did in 2007.
However, Pathan claimed that it was a massive piece of misinformation that India had sent a young squad to the 2007 T20 World Cup. He shed light on the experience that players like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, himself & MS Dhoni had.
Irfan Pathan explained the importance of experience in such tournaments. On this, he told Star Sports:
"This 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."
Pathan also feels that IPL form should not be the ultimate parameter in selecting the players for India's T20 World Cup squad. He shed light on the importance of acknowledging the performances given by the players for the Men in Blue in the recent past:
"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.
"However, international cricket is a different beast altogether. You'll have five bowlers, each with a significant number of matches under their belt before entering the World Cup, bringing in tons of experience."
Irfan Pathan bagged figures of 3/16 in the 2007 T20 World Cup final and also won the Player of the Match award for his performance.
Irfan Pathan on importance of senior players in India's T20 World Cup squad
Irfan Pathan understands that modern-day T20 cricket has seen batters become more aggressive and demands that fearless brand of cricket. While he feels that the shortest format will see a lot of Indian youngsters getting opportunities, he believes the Men in Blue need experience for the showpiece event in June.
Pathan opined that the potential slowness in the surfaces in the West Indies and the USA will prompt India to back their experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He stated:
"Going forward, we might see a lot of youngsters participating in the T20 World Cup. However, this World Cup demands that selectors be particularly vigilant, especially given its location in the West Indies. And when the slowness of the game comes in, this is where the experience comes in."
Several reports have emerged that India are likely to announce their T20 World Cup 2024 squad on May 1. It will be interesting to see how the side is composed given the competition for places.