Former Indian and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cricketer Yusuf Pathan feel that Kolkata Knight Riders team management should look beyond the West Indies all-round duo Sunil Narine and Andre Russell as they could not make an impact for the two-time champions for the last two to three seasons.
Sunil Narine is one of the few players who has played more than 10 IPL seasons with the same franchise, and has been vital in the side’s two title wins in 2012 and 2014, but could not make an impact in the past few seasons and in this edition IPL he has picked up only seven wickets from 12 games at an economy rate of 8.50.
Speaking on Espncricinfo, former KKR finisher Yusuf Pathan urges KKR management to look beyond Narine and Russell as they could produce any match-winning for their sides in recent times and said that the team should plan for the future and added that as senior players they should take the responsibility for the team’s failure in IPL 2023.
“We should see how Narine and Russell have performed in the last three years, or how many match-winning performances they have put in with bat or ball,” Yusuf Pathan said.
“As a team, what do you think? If you want to look ahead to the future and go to the next level, then you should surely think about it, because if you look at the last few seasons, their performance hasn’t been as good. As a senior player, there are expectations from you that you would get wickets or runs. If you are not able to do it, then you will have to face the questions.”
West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has been with the franchise since 2014 and has been their most potent weapon in the years gone. The West Indies big-hitter could not finish the game for his side as he has been inconsistent with performance in T20 Cricket over the last couple of years However, Russell’s struggles with both bat and ball have affected the franchise’s performance this season.
I Don’t Think Age Should Be A Factor – Yusuf Pathan
Cricketer-turned-commentator Yusuf Pathan believes that age might not be a factor for the poor performance in IPL 2023, as many veteran cricketers are putting their hands for their respective franchises in this edition of the IPL and said they are playing global leagues around the world so they body should be in good shape.
