'He is a unique bowler' - Irfan Pathan urges team management to support Kuldeep Yadav

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has urged Team India to keep supporting Kuldeep Yadav who seems to have fallen down the pecking order in the Test team in recent times. The former cricketer-turned-commentator also backed the left-arm spinner to make a roaring return to Test cricket in the upcoming series against England.

The chinaman spinner has not played a Test since the Sydney Test in January 2019 in which he had taken a five-wicket haul in the game. Following the Test, India head coach Ravi Shastri had said that Kuldeep would be India’s first-choice spinner in overseas Tests. But unfortunately for Kuldeep, he is still waiting to play another Test.

He did not play a single game during the four-match Test series in Australia despite India suffering several injury setbacks. He was expected to play the fourth Test in Brisbane after Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were ruled out of the game. However, the team management picked uncapped Washington Sundar in the playing XI.

They must be supporting and backing Kuldeep Yadav: Irfan Pathan

Kuldeep Yadav is likely to get a chance in the playing XI for the first Test against England. With Jadeja not a part of the squad because of a thumb injury, Kuldeep is likely to get the nod. And as Kuldeep desperately waits for a chance in the playing XI, Pathan has urged the team management to support him. Hailing Kuldeep as a unique bowler, Pathan further said that India should pick the spinner because of England’s poor record against leg-spinners.

“It is very important from the team management point of view, how they keep mind-set of a player, who is not playing. I am sure they must be doing a right job, and that’s why the guys, when we saw some of the youngsters, they came and played really well. I am sure they must be supporting and backing Kuldeep Yadav because he has got immense talent. You don’t find left-arm wrist spinners on every-day-basis. He is a unique bowler,” Pathan was quoted as saying by Outlook India.

“When it comes to England, look at the history, if you are a leg-spinner, you always have a chance of performing well, I just hope that whenever he plays, he does really well and he does. The guy is about 25-26 and this is where he is going to get maturity. Whenever he gets the opportunity, first Test, second Test, whenever he will be raring to go and I am pretty sure that he will do well,” he added.