Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has questioned the selectors over the omission of Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi from India's Test squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Nabi had also missed out on the one-off Test against Afghanistan, though he travelled with the squad as a net bowler. The right-arm seamer strengthened his reputation with a standout domestic season, playing a pivotal role in Jammu and Kashmir's historic Ranji Trophy triumph. He particularly caught the eye with an impressive spell against KL Rahul in the final. Nabi further enhanced his credentials on the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka, where he picked up six wickets across two four-day matches. Despite consistent performances at both the domestic and India A levels, the selectors overlooked him again for a place in the senior Test squad.
Expanding on his criticism, Pathan said he was unable to understand the selectors' decision to overlook Auqib Nabi despite the pacer's impressive domestic performances. The former India all-rounder argued that the one-off Test against Afghanistan would have been the ideal opportunity to hand Nabi his debut instead of relying on an established bowler like Mohammed Siraj.
“I honestly don’t have any logical answer for Nabi not being picked,” Pathan told Sportstar.
“I didn’t understand the selection process. Mohammad Siraj is your go-to bowler. When (Jasprit) Bumrah is not there, Siraj becomes your No.1 bowler. So, what was the need to play against Afghanistan in a Test that wasn’t even part of the World Test Championship,” Pathan said, adding: “If domestic performances matter, why didn’t you reward Auqib? That was the best opportunity to play him and test him at that level…”
Pathan also made a strong case for rewarding performances in domestic cricket, insisting that Nabi has consistently shown the qualities needed to succeed at the highest level. The former India all-rounder warned that delaying opportunities for promising fast bowlers could cost India valuable years during the most productive phase of their careers.
“People talk about pace, but you’ve got to see how a bowler is beating the bat. Is he troubling the best batters in domestic cricket? He has done that consistently. Even in the final of the Ranji Trophy, he troubled senior batters like K.L. Rahul and everyone saw that. So, his performances deserved a reward,” Pathan said.
“The more you delay a fast bowler’s peak, the more you are going to lose out on him. Fast bowlers are at their peak between 27 and 32. You don’t want to miss that window, especially when someone is in rhythm,” he said.
Pathan questions selectors for Nabi's treatment
While welcoming Saransh Jain's selection, Pathan wondered why the same principle had not been applied to Nabi, arguing that the Jammu and Kashmir pacer had also earned an opportunity through sustained performances in domestic cricket.
“What signal are we sending to domestic cricketers? Saransh Jain getting picked on the back of domestic performances is fantastic. It tells domestic cricketers that performances will be rewarded. He’s 33 and got rewarded for four or five years of consistent performances. But then, what’s wrong with Auqib? He has performed consistently too, and as a fast bowler there are even more opportunities because pacers get injured more often, so a back-up always helps…" he added.