'Apply to All, Else It Won't Get Results," Irfan Questions Iyer, Kishan's contract denial

Irfan Pathan has questioned Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan's contract denial in the list of central contracts released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently. Ravi Shastri has also backed Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer after BCCI announced that the board has terminated the central contracts of two prolific batters' on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has questioned the Board for Control of Cricket in India's decision to drop wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan and prolific batter Shreyas Iyer from the latest central contracts on Wednesday for opting not to play Ranji Trophy games, with a view that players like Hardik Pandya should be judged on the same parameter as well.

The BCCI announced the central contracts for 30 players, distributed in four categories depending on their remuneration and mentioned in their official release that Iyer and Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts.

Irfan shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote, "If players like Hardik don't want to play red-ball cricket, should he and others like him participate in white-ball domestic cricket when they aren't on national duty?"

"If this doesn't apply to all, then Indian cricket won't achieve the desired results!" he added.

Iyer and Kishan had played significant roles in India's run to the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup final. The former lost his Grade B contract despite fulfilling the minimum criteria set by the board in terms of matches played.

Since last October, when the contract period started, Iyer has participated in four Tests, 12 ODIs and two T20Is. The two of those Tests came when India toured the Rainbow Nation while the other two came in the ongoing series against England. However, he failed to make an impact with the bat and struggled for runs, scoring a mere 145 runs in four matches at an average of just 20.71 with a highest score of 35. He then complained about the back spasm and didn't take part in the remainder of the series.

The 29-year-old then made himself unavailable for Mumbai's Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Baroda, citing the same reason to the Mumbai Cricket Association. But, on the very next day, the head of sports sciences and medicine at the National Cricket Academy(NCA), Nitin Patel, informed the selectors that Shreyas Iyer was fit and no fresh injuries were incurred by him recently.

The Mumbaikar has been named in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad for the semi-final against Tamil Nadu, commencing from March 2.

On the other hand, Kishan had a Grade C contract last season. Although Kishan was part of India squads for various bilateral series, including the World Cup squad and South Africa Test series, he played just two ODIs and three T20Is in the current contract period.

However, in December, a couple of days before the Test series against South Africa, Kishan then informed the selection committee about mental fatigue and was granted leave immediately. Since then he has not featured in any competitive cricket organised by the BCCI.

The 25-year-old did not turn up for Jharkhand throughout the team's campaign in the Ranji Trophy despite not being on national duty. Instead, he focused on preparing for the IPL next month, keeping the forthcoming T20 World Cup in mind and was seen competing in the ongoing DY Patil T20 Tournament in Mumbai.

Irfan believes that the duo will come back strongly. "They are talented cricketers, both Shreyas and Ishan. Hoping they bounce back and come back stronger," he said.

The exclusion of Iyer and Kishan is being seen as a stern message to young players unwilling to put in the hard yards in first-class cricket while chasing white-ball glory and lucrative IPL contracts.

On Wednesday, former India coach Ravi Shastri also backed the duo by sharing a post on X. "In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you'll conquer once again," Shastri wrote.

Meanwhile, NCA head VVS Laxman has come up with a different view around the issue and has praised BCCI for rewarding players who have preferred to play domestic cricket.

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