MUMBAI, June 5: Fast bowling legend Wasim Akram on Monday took Indian coach Greg Chappell to task for dropping Irfan Pathan for the first Test against the West Indies on the pretext that his confidence was low.

“I don't know why Pathan has been dropped. Coach Greg Chappell has said his confidence is low. But when a player's confidence is low he should be played and not dropped.

“He is one of the experienced bowlers. There was need to play him and not drop him to save him,” Wasim said.

The former Pakistan captain was also not impressed by the constant changes in composition and strategies of the Indian side and said such experiments could not go on forever.

“You can experiment for four to six months but you can't experiment all the time. Every player needs confidence and I am saying this from experience.

“You get confidence when the captain and coach back you and not when the coach goes out and tells everyone that the player's confidence is low,” said the former left-arm bowler, who took 414 wickets in 104 Tests.

Wasim, who is on a promotional visit to India, pointed out that every player goes through a bad patch in his career.

“Everyone goes through a bad patch in his career. I have gone through it. Kapil Dev and Imran Khan have gone through it too. I think you must play him (Pathan).

“If he is not injured and he has been dropped then it is wrong,” he said.—Agencies