After taking 1/12 and 3/25 in warm-up matches against the Netherlands and the West Indies in the Caribbean, Pathan did not play a match at the World Cup,[1] and was among a group of players to be dropped from the squad following India's exit from the first round.[57] He played no part in the tours of Bangladesh and England.[58][59] Instead, he was sent on an India A tour of Africa.[60] Two years after devastating the Zimbabwean batsmen, he played against a Zimbabwe Select XI, he took only six wickets at 30.16 in two matches, and then took eight wickets at 18.12 in two matches against Kenya.