Respectable decision to ignore Big 5 for World Cup 2015: Irfan Pathan

Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan said on Sunday that the selection committee’s decision to drop five senior players from the 30-member probables list for 2015 ODI World Cup should be respected.

Respectable decision to ignore Big 5 for World Cup 2015: Irfan Pathan

The 30 year old player,Pathan was in his home city on Sunday to unveil the World Cup 2015 trophy.While responding a press conference on the selection committees decision to drop the 5 senior players from the Indian side for the 2015 World Cup,Pathan said “It was the selectors’ decision to drop the senior players from the World Cup probables’ list. It has to be respected,”

In 2011 World Cup India’s best top five performers Virender Sehwag,Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir along with pacer Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh,for whom India won the World Cup, were not included in the probables list for cricket’s biggest tournament to be held in Australia and New Zealand.

In absence of Dhoni,BCCI announced the 30-member probables list for 2015 ODI World Cup on December 4 after a meeting of the selection committee.Besides the Big 5 India’s 2011 team member Pacers Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel, spinner Piyush Chawla and all-rounder Yusuf Pathan were also among players whose name was not in the list.

Irfan Pathan said “India would obviously be my favourite team in the next World Cup. Besides, South Africa, with good fast bowlers will have an advantage. I would love to see the final between India and South Africa,”

While responding to a query oncricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s absence in the Indian side, who represented India in a record six World Cups, Pathan said it is next to impossible to replace the position vacated by the icon.

“He will be missed not only by India but at every cricketing platform in the world. But as Sunil Gawaskar was legendary and when he went.. (later) his vacuum was filled by Sachin, we can hope some of the young players will try to take his (Tendulkar’s) position. But it is for sure that we will miss Sachin Paji,” he said.

Pathan also said about his comeback that he is trying hard to get selected in the Indian team and he hoped to achieve that by performing in the Ranji Trophy.