Former India player Irfan Pathan said that it’s the BCCI who needs to answer whether MS Dhoni will play in the ICC T20 World Cup later this year or not. He has been out of the action ever since India lost to New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final last year in the UK. However, the upcoming season of IPL was going to be his return to the cricket as well. But according to the reports, the 13th edition of IPL can be cancelled so the path of his return seemed impossible as well.
“He obviously needs to play,” Pathan told The New Indian Express. “If he does, he should for India. He is the most amazing cricketer we have. He has been fantastic for the country. He has given so much to the world of cricket.”
“But if he (Dhoni) is just drafted in, will it be fair for those who have been playing regularly is an important question. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have been playing consistently for a year. So, this question needs to be answered by the board,” he further added.
As the sporting world comes to a standstill and India are in the complete lockdown, Irfan Pathan has advised all the sportspersons to maintain their fitness amid this situation as well.
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“It’s very important for sportspersons to ensure that they don’t gain weight. If this scare is vanishing in two months, then they need to be on top of their fitness. To make sure of that, they need to train at least 15 minutes to half-an-hour everyday. Upper-body exercises on one day, lower body on the next, and core workouts every other day. They need to train at least four days a week,” said Pathan, who played 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is for India.
“Sporting activities should obviously be postponed. Nothing is bigger than life. Like the postponement of IPL, everyone should consider the situation every month. Be it ICC or any national board, all organisations need to see the situation in Australia (for the T20 World Cup) every three, four weeks and then take a decision. If something has to be deferred or cancelled, so be it. You cannot do anything because you need to save lives, which should be the most important thing on everybody’s mind at the moment,” Irfan Pathan concluded.
