Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shed light on the long-standing issues that plagued Punjab Kings during the early years of the Indian Premier League, pointing to a lack of coordination among the franchise’s multiple owners. His candid remarks offer a rare insider perspective into the challenges faced by the team behind the scenes. Punjab Kings, one of the original IPL franchises since 2008, has been co-owned by Mohit Burman, Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, and Karan Paul.

While the team showed promise in its debut season by reaching the semi-finals, consistency and stability remained elusive in the years that followed. Speaking on Star Sports, Pathan highlighted how internal misalignment affected the team’s decision-making process, particularly during the transition years after their initial success.

“There was a clear lack of coordination,” irfan Pathan said. “In the first year, we reached the semi-finals, so ideally, the leadership should have continued. But by the third year, things had already changed. There were differences between what the coaches wanted and what the owners thought, especially since many didn’t come from a cricketing background.”

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Pathan further revealed that the interference wasn’t limited to high-level decisions but extended to team combinations and playing XI selections—areas typically reserved for coaching staff and captains.

“If one owner wanted a certain combination and another had a different idea, it created confusion. And when results didn’t go your way, it only made things worse. That lack of alignment was a major issue in the early years,” he added.

Despite acknowledging that individual interactions with the owners were often positive, Pathan stressed that collective decision-making suffered due to differing viewpoints within the management group. He also compared that phase to the current structure of the franchise, suggesting that things have improved in recent years. With experienced figures like Ricky Ponting in the coaching setup and Shreyas Iyer leading the side, Punjab Kings appear to be moving towards greater stability.

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“Now it looks like there’s more clarity and structure. But when you’ve changed so many captains over the years, it shows there was no stability. And without that, players don’t feel secure enough to perform consistently,” Irfan Pathan concluded. His observations underline a key lesson in franchise cricket—success isn’t just about talent on the field, but also about clarity and cohesion off it.