Irfan Pathan: Dhoni had final say on 2009 ODI selection; No.7 sought

Former India allrounder Irfan Pathan has disclosed that his omission from India's ODI side in 2009 was effectively decided at the top, with the head coach offering that the final selection lay beyond his hands and that the team was aiming for a batting allrounder at No. 7. Pathan said the messages from the coaching staff suggested MS Dhoni, then captain, had the ultimate call on who played, even as Kirsten described two reasons: that some decisions were “not in my hand,” and that the team was seeking a different balance in the middle order.

Pathan’s account centers on the New Zealand ODI series in 2009, where he was benched across the first three matches and missed the final as well, despite delivering match-impacting performances in the preceding period. After questioning why he was left out, he recalls Kirsten responding with two explanations. First, that some aspects were beyond the coach’s control. Second, that the team wanted a batting allrounder at No. 7, a fact Pathan contrasts with his own bowling-leaning strengths. He emphasizes the line, “The playing XI is decided by the captains choice,” stressing that Dhoni’s role as captain carried the decisive weight in team selection.