Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan ‘absolutely couldn’t make sense’ of the Gautam Gambhir-led team management’s decision to rope in Ayush Badoni for the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand. Pathan said
Badoni has high potential but argued that he hasn’t done much to prove he’s ‘India-ready’.
Badoni was called up to the national side for the first time as a replacement for the injured all-rounder Washington Sundar. India didn’t explain the call in detail, or why he was preferred over a more experienced name like Axar Patel, with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak simply stating that the team wanted someone who could provide a bowling option.
“I didn’t understand it at all,” Pathan said in a video on his YouTube channel. “I absolutely couldn’t make sense of it. It was completely out of left field. I even went and checked his scores in the recent past, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and this one as well. I think he is a high-potential player, but I don’t know if he is India-ready yet.”
“I was a bit surprised, honestly. I was a bit surprised. Guys like Ayush Badoni have not done that well, right? I mean, he hasn’t exactly set domestic cricket on fire. It hasn’t really happened like that. He had three decent scores against South Africa A and Australia A, and then in the Vijay Hazare Trophy he picked up four wickets in three games. So they probably thought that he could bowl a bit and bat down the order. But yes, it was a surprise. It really was a surprise.”
Badoni had a mediocre Vijay Hazare Trophy with the bat and his overall List-A record doesn’t stand out either, with 693 runs at an average of 36.47, with just one century.
His bowling has improved in recent years, but he rotated his arm in just three matches in the VHT, taking four wickets, including a three-wicket haul against Railways.
Picked before the second ODI, Badoni didn’t replace Sundar in the 11 as the team management went with Nitish Kumar Reddy. It would be interesting to see if he’s handed a debut on Sunday in the third ODI with the series on the line.
