‘I was with him 10 days ago’: Pathan hails 26-year-old's selection, says 'he batted for 2 sessions, each 300-400 balls'
Moments after the selection, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan welcomed the decision and wished the cricketer good luck.
Despite being a prominent figure in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the domestic circuit, Deepak Hooda is yet to make his international debut. The 26-year-old middle-order batter had a modest outing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and finished as the second highest run getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Hooda, who plays for Rajasthan in the domestic setup, on Wednesday earned a call-up in the national side as he was named in India's 18-man squad for the upcoming limited-over series against West Indies, which starts from February 6.
Moments after the selection, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan welcomed the decision and wished the cricketer good luck.
Pathan, who has mentored Hooda ever since he started playing for Baroda in 2013, on Thursday pointed another unique quality about the batter. The former India all-rounder said that Hooda is so motivated to play cricket that factors like money don't really matter for the 20-year-old.
Pathan's observation were made following Hooda's controversial exit from the Baroda team last year, involving a documented spat with Krunal Pandya.
“It is a true story. Lot of teams wanted him. He didn't care about the money. He just wanted to go out there and play and that's the kind of character he is. He's a kid in a candy store when it comes to playing cricket and he just loves it.”
"He doesn't care about other benefits and everything. Some of the decision makers (at RCA) were also surprised that he didn't talk about money. He didn't talk about commercials," Pathan was quoted as saying in a report by PTI.
The former cricketer also shared a recent episode between him and Hooda, giving an assurance regarding the 26-year-old's current form.
“I was there with him 10 days ago and I was seeing his batting also. Those who follow domestic circuit know that if you're batting well in Moti Bagh (green surface), you are actually batting well.”
“He must have batted two sessions, each session minimum 300 to 400 balls. He was hardly playing away from his body. The ball does a bit and 95 per cent of the time he was in control. "And I was like, ‘wow, if he gets selected right now he will score runs for India.’” said Pathan.
The former cricketer also highlighted Hooda's other qualities apart from his batting.
"Most importantly, he's got outstanding fielding abilities as well and ability to bowl with a new ball in the powerplay as well as with the old ball," he added.
