Irfan Pathan Opens Up on New Zealand Tour Snub
Irfan Pathan shared how Gary Kirsten’s response confirmed that MS Dhoni had dropped him during the 2009 New Zealand tour.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has opened up about the moment he realised it was then-skipper MS Dhoni who had dropped him during the 2009 all-format tour of New Zealand. Pathan revealed that a conversation with head coach Gary Kirsten confirmed his exclusion from the playing XI in all five ODIs on that tour.
The ODIs were held between the two-match T20I series and the three-match Test series. Pathan said he wanted to understand the reason behind his omission so he could work on those areas.
“In New Zealand, I was benched for the first match, the second match, and the third match as well. The fourth match was a draw because of rain. I wasn’t in the final match either. Then I asked Gary sir why I had been dropped. If there was something I needed to improve, he could tell me, but I wanted to know the reason I was left out,” stated Irfan while speaking in a video of The Lallantop.
The former cricketer revealed that Kirsten told him the decision was not entirely in the coach’s control. “Kirsten gave me two reasons. He said, ‘There are things that are not in my hand.’ Those were Gary’s exact words. I asked whose hands it was in, but he didn’t tell me. I already knew whose hands it was in. The playing XI is decided by the captain’s choice. The decision rests with the captain, coach, and management. Dhoni was the captain at that time. I won’t get into whether that decision was right or wrong, because every captain has the right to run the team in his own way,” added Pathan.
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Pathan also revealed that the management was seeking a batting all-rounder, which eventually led to his replacement by his elder brother, Yusuf Pathan. He said he believed no one else in the squad would have been dropped, especially after the impactful performances he and Yusuf had delivered in the preceding Sri Lanka tour.
“The second answer was that they were looking for a batting all-rounder at No. 7. Fair enough — my brother was a batting all-rounder, while I was a bowling all-rounder. The two were different from each other, but there was only room for one in the team. Nowadays, if you ask whether two all-rounders are needed, people would gladly take both,” remarked Irfan.
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Last Updated on August 15, 2025
