Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has indirectly criticized cricketers who opt out of domestic cricket citing workload management. Pathan's comments follow reports of Shreyas Iyer withdrawing from Mumbai's upcoming Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match due to alleged back issues, despite receiving fitness clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

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Irfan Pathan takes an indirect dig at BCCI, Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer and Shivam Dube have been ruled out of Mumbai's squad for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Baroda. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) cited injury concerns in its statement. This decision came shortly after another Team India player, Ishan Kishan, also made himself unavailable for Jharkhand's team selection.

With India's head coach Rahul Dravid and the BCCI encouraging players to participate in domestic red-ball matches for senior team consideration, Shreyas Iyer's decision to withdraw, despite being reportedly fit, has raised eyebrows. It is understood that senior players who are centrally contracted by the BCCI have been asked to play first-class cricket for their respective domestic teams if they are not picked for the national side. 

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has recently issued a strong ultimatum to players who are intentionally avoiding Ranji Trophy games. Ishan Kishan was at the forefront of this issue when Shah fired the warning shots during an event in Rajkot before the third Test match between India and England.  

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Expressing his concerns, Irfan Pathan questioned if there are different rules for different players regarding their participation in Indian first-class cricket under the guise of managing their bodies. Pathan's remarks suggest suspicion regarding Iyer's situation and the decisions made by certain players regarding their involvement in domestic cricket.

“Is there a different rule for different players for not playing Indian first-class cricket in the name of looking after the body?” Pathan wrote in his post. 

All of these players are set to take part in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), slated to begin on March 22.