Yusuf Pathan hasn’t achieved anything great in his career, but his ability to finish the match single-handedly, on his day, is always a big threat for the opposition. Pathan’s biggest strength is scoring quick runs and when he gets going, he deals only in boundaries. He backs himself to clear the ground, and with his power and big bats, even the mishits travel the distance.
When Pathan made his debut, there were very high expectations from him, but he couldn’t deliver. It’s true that Yusuf Pathan has been struggling to make a comeback. But, in the last season of the Indian Premier League, he showed some form in the end. He took on Dale Steyn in the match against Sun Risers Hyderabad, and took the match away single-handedly.
Yusuf Pathan is struggling to make a comeback to the Indian team. After 2011 World Cup, Ravindra Jadeja came through the ranks and took his place. And since then, Yusuf is struggling to get his place back.
Yusuf Pathan’s biggest criticism has been his inconsistency. There are only two ways in which he operates:
• Either he tops
• Or he flunks
If Pathan wants to make a comeback, CLT20 2014 is the right platform. With World Cup 2015 just around the corner, this will be Yusuf’s last chance to impress the selectors.
From Kolkata Knight Rider’s point of view, Yusuf Pathan has a greater role to perform now. With the ban on Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib-Ul-Hasan, he will have to play a bigger role in the lower-order.
Although, the chances of Yusuf Pathan making a comeback to the international side for the ICC World Cup 2015 are very bleak, but still, he would desperate to go out in the middle and show what he is capable of. His performances in CLT20 2014 will also have a huge impact on his share price for the next season of Indian Premier League.
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By Sidharth Gulati
