Yusuf Pathan urges India to be relaxed during the upcoming T20I World Cup in the wake of injuries to Bumrah and Jadeja, just as their team did in 2007
Jasprit Bumrah. Pic/Getty Images
With Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja reportedly out of the T20I World Cup in Australia this month, the Indian team management has a lot of thinking to do ahead of the competition, reckons former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan. “Rohit Sharma will have to plan properly in their [Bumrah and Jadeja] absence. He and his men will have to remain calm throughout to go the distance,” Yusuf said.
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Zero expectations back then
Yusuf, 39, a crucial member of the World Cup-winning teams in 2007 (T20I) and 2011 (ODI), recalled the moment India lifted the T20 World Cup in South Africa. “We had zero expectations the first time we participated in the T20I World Cup [2007]. We were relaxed. Our young captain MS Dhoni [then 26] rallied the troops quite well,” said Yousuf.
Yusuf Pathan
He credited the relaxed dressing room environment for the team’s success. “There was no problem at all inside the dressing room. We enjoyed every moment like a family. Most importantly, we enjoyed each other’s company which was a very important factor in winning the tournament.”
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Dhoni’s team adapted well
Despite having very little experience of T20 cricket, the Indian team remained calm in crucial moments of the tournament, recalled Yusuf. “We were new to this format, but we adapted quite well. There were definitely some tense moments, but we overcame them. S Sreesanth’s catch off Joginder’s [Sharma] bowling to finish the match was one such moment,” he said.
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