‘I Am Not Setting Up Hookah In Someone’s Room’ Irfan Pathan Takes A Dig On MS Dhoni Regarding Selection Politics

An old video of ex India all rounder Irfan Pathan resurfaced, sparking debates once again on why he left the national team so suddenly and allegations of politics in the times of MS Dhoni as a team captain.

This is what Irfan Pathan said about MS Dhoni

In the video that is actually an interview, Pathan describes one of the conversations he had with Dhoni in the 2008 Australia series when the media had reported that Dhoni had slated his bowling. Pathan approached Dhoni directly and he assured him that there was nothing to worry about, that all was going as we planned. Pathan was thinking that asking questions again and again to get some explanations can destroy self respect. The remark that really grabbed attention was that of Pathan, ‘I do not have a habit of setting up hookah in the room of someone. It is the duty of a cricketer to play on the field.’ This cynical innuendo indicated that those who ingratiated themselves with non field graces such as installing a hookah could be given favour, leading to a controversy on favouritism under the Dhoni regime.

Is this the reason why Irfan Pathan took retirement?

The popularity of the video highlights a certain amount of tension and interest in why Pathan left international cricket prematurely in 2012 despite impressive performances such as a five wicket haul on his last ODI. Particularly fans, but also pundits, have interpreted Pathan at least as oblique criticism of the team dynamics under Dhoni, and think that some of his words about the bias in selection or team politics may have a point.

Social Media in favour of Irfan Pathan?

The moment was quickly magnified through social discussions on sites such as X, with comments such as MS Dhoni used to choose players who would lay out the hookah to him becoming viral and popular. In the meantime, others are going to Reddit to air their grievances, in favor of the fact that Pathan might have a point regarding internal factors and to excuse the poor record of Dhoni in the selection and leadership front. The revelation made by Pathan may be controversial, but it can also be viewed as a reminder of the sophisticated undertones that may affect the choice of teams and the morale of players even such a legend as Dhoni cannot completely escape them.

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