Pathan’s Remarks on Dhoni’s Leadership Trigger Debate

Irfan Pathan’s recent comments concerning MS Dhoni have become a hot topic, raising questions about Dhoni’s captaincy and the reasons behind Pathan’s departure from the Indian team. Pathan, in an interview with Sports Tak, hinted that his exclusion was not solely based on his cricketing performance. A widely shared social media post featured a quote attributed to Pathan, alleging that Dhoni favored players who engaged in hookah-related activities. Pathan mentioned an incident during the 2008 Australia tour where media reports claimed Dhoni was unhappy with his bowling. Pathan, after directly addressing the matter with Dhoni, was told that there was no such issue. Pathan stated that he chose not to press the matter further. He also added that he did not participate in activities like setting up hookah, even though he refrained from naming Dhoni directly. The comments gained traction, especially given recent online footage of Dhoni and hookah use. George Bailey also mentioned Dhoni’s hookah use to bond with teammates, further fueling discussions about Pathan’s observations.