Mohammad Kaif Criticizes Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips After India's Defeat to New Zealand
However, Kaif did express admiration for New Zealand's other left-arm spinner, Mitchell Santner, who was absent from the third Test due to injury. Kaif acknowledged Santner's impressive performance in the Pune Test, where he had taken 13 wickets, contributing significantly to New Zealand's dominant victory.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has come under fire for making a distasteful remark about New Zealand's Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips following India's shocking 3-0 series whitewash by New Zealand. Kaif, known for his bold opinions, questioned the quality of the New Zealand bowling attack, particularly the spin duo, after they played key roles in India's defeat in the third Test at the Wankhede Stadium.
Ajaz Patel, who took 11 wickets in the match, was the target of Kaif's criticism. While Patel's remarkable figures in the Test were celebrated by many, Kaif dismissed him as an ordinary bowler. He compared Patel's abilities to those of local spinners in India, stating, "You will get such type of spinners at our local academies." Kaif mocked Patel's bowling, pointing out that he bowled "two short balls, two full tosses" and "only two good deliveries" in an over. He expressed disbelief that India lost to such bowlers, saying, "We are losing our wickets on these two deliveries."
Kaif also took aim at Glenn Phillips, calling him a "part-timer" and suggesting that he did not consistently bowl good deliveries. The defeat to New Zealand, which won by 25 runs in the final Test, was especially painful for Kaif, who found it embarrassing that India, with a strong batting lineup, could not deal with what he considered subpar bowling.
In a social media post, Kaif shared a video of Patel's bowling and wrote, "Ajaz Patel jaise spinner har local club mein mil jayenge," implying that spinners like Patel are common at local cricket clubs.
However, Kaif did express admiration for New Zealand's other left-arm spinner, Mitchell Santner, who was absent from the third Test due to injury. Kaif acknowledged Santner's impressive performance in the Pune Test, where he had taken 13 wickets, contributing significantly to New Zealand's dominant victory.
The criticism of India's poor performance against a New Zealand team missing key players, and particularly Kaif's harsh words for Patel and Phillips, has stirred debate. India's 0-3 loss has raised concerns about their preparations for future series and their chances of making it to the World Test Championship final, which now requires a dominant win against Australia.
