I was made a scapegoat during England’s transition period: Samit Patel

Former England all-rounder Samit Patel has opined that issues related to his fitness were not handled properly by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He went on to add that he possibly became a scapegoat at a time when England were going through a transition.

Samit Patel’s international career was hampered by fitness issues and he was dropped more than once over the same. However, in an interview on the YouTube channel Cricket Life Stories, Samit Patel lamented the handing of his fitness problems by ECB. He claimed that the board went directly to the media, without having a discussion with him.

Samit Patel recalled:

“No, it just got chucked out there which I was pretty disappointed about. In my opinion, [it was] handled poorly by the ECB. [It was] not entirely their fault but if you put it now, things would be handled way differently by the ECB and captains and coaches. Maybe [I was] a little bit of a scapegoat, first up, but you live and you learn with this kind of stuff.”

The 36-year-old pointed out that when he was dropped back in 2009, Andrew Strauss had just been named England’s ODI captain, who wanted to make his mark. Samit Patel elaborated:

“We went through a period where we were losing and Straussy came in and wanted different standards with (Andy) Flower. It was that crossover period where people need to make some kind of statement and stamp their authority in different roles and I copped it for that.”

#OnThisDay | Friday, 8th May 2009Samit Patel passes 3,000 first-class runs with 18* on Day 3 of a home County Championship game against Somerset. Nottinghamshire chased down 261 to win by six wickets. By the end of the 2020 season, Patel had amassed 12,692 red-ball runs. pic.twitter.com/P1ljZ4AFx1

— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) May 8, 2021

Not making the 2011 World Cup squad didn’t sit well with me: Samit Patel

The left-arm also lamented being left out of the England’s 2011 World Cup squad.

England were knocked out in the quarter-finals in the event held in India. Samit Patel believes that he had done enough to be part of the team.

He explained:

“To not make it, knowing that you should be there and you’re not there, it didn’t sit well with me. But as I said before, you live and you learn and it’s both parties’ fault, but as I say now, these days things would be handled way differently.”

After earning another recall, Samit Patel was dropped from England’s limited-overs squad in 2013. The all-rounder revealed that he again received no communication from ECB over his omission.

He stated:

“I’ve had no conversations after 2013, 14 really, in terms of one-day cricket, at all. I don’t know what’s happened. Face doesn’t fit, fizzled out, you call it what you want. But yeah, I’ve not really heard from anyone post my last one-dayer, I can’t remember when it was, but I’ve heard nothing.”

Samit Patel’s last match for England was a Test against Pakistan in Sharjah back in November 2015. Going back to the fitness debate, he signed off saying that he has never missed a game for being unfit.

“I’ve never missed one game for England or Notts. It all comes down to sports science. They forgot about the skills base. It’s funny how no one mentions fitness issues with me now,” he added.

Did you know left arm spinners, Jack Leach and Samit Patel (both Englishman) bowl with their left arm but throw with their right arm. How fascinating!@ECB_cricket @jackleach1991 @Samitpatel21

— Aranya's World of Cricket (@sworldofcricket) March 2, 2021

Samit Patel played six Tests, 36 ODIs and 18 T20Is for England. He scored two half-centuries in limited-overs cricket and ended with 38 international wickets.