Last Update: June 03, 2023, 4:49 PM IST
Kolkata [Calcutta]India
IPL 2023: Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya (AP)
Lance Klusener Feels Hardik Pandya May Have Left Test Cricket A Little Too Easy To Manage His Workload
Former South African great Lance Klusener has called Hardik Pandya one of the best fast bowling all-rounders and believes that the Indian probably left Test cricket a little too easily to manage his workload.
Pandya, who last played a Test for India in September 2018, has been plagued by injury and has restricted himself to limited-overs cricket and ruled himself out of the upcoming World Test Championship final against Australia.
“He (Pandya) is a fantastic cricketer and if he can stay fit and keep bowling 135+ kmph, he will always be challenging… As one of the best all-rounders.” The Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club on Saturday…
Pandya himself had dismissed it saying that it would not be “ethical” to replace someone without contributing even a cent in India’s journey to the WTC final.
Read this also | Mumbai name Rohit Sharma in 35-probable list for Suryakumar Yadav off-season training camp
Asked if Pandya gave up on Test cricket too easily, Klusener said, “Yeah, probably.” Test cricket is always the pinnacle of testing where you are, as a cricketer, and test yourself.
Test cricket hasn’t really changed that long, but I also understand that times have changed.”
Pace-bowling all-rounders not double-doublers
Klusener further said that a fast bowling all-rounder is not a “dibley-dobbler”, but someone who can clock 135 kmph consistently.
“Fast bowling all-rounders need to bowl 135+. I don’t think there will be a few dibble-dobblers in England, I don’t think it’s all that effective now.
“I honestly believe that someone like Ben Stokes who bowls 135+, those guys are still gold in any form of the game,” said Klusener, a member of the 1999 ODI World Cup squad. -Last.
But the management across all three formats in today’s era has contributed to the downfall of the fast bowling all-rounder. However, Klusener believes his time will come again.
“I always feel it goes in cycles. When I used to play, there were a lot of fast bowling all-rounders… Then we saw all-rounders bowling spin.
“Certainly at the moment, I am not seeing so many fast bowling all-rounders, I think it is a cycle. We can see in the next five years such cricketers coming again. There is plenty of cricket if we manage the workload properly, yet there is a place for him in any team.”
Klusener believes India are well-equipped to field a pace or spin-heavy lineup and it will be the horses of the course for them in the WTC final against Australia starting June 7 at The Oval.
Spin has traditionally been India’s strength. They have an attack that can play on any surface,” he said, when asked whether India should go for two spinners or a pace all-rounder in the form of Shardul Thakur.
“The way the Indian seamers have developed over the years – there is a reason why they consistently play in WTC finals, it is why they are one of the best Test sides in the world.
“In the past teams used to prepare green tops so that India would not be able to compete, but that is not the case now. I think they are well equipped now, whatever the circumstances, they will be able to pick a competitive team.”
(With inputs from PTI)
