Doubts around his fitness and lack of bowling led to Hardik Pandya missing the squad for the T20I series against New Zealand after the T20 World Cup. Now the latest buzz is that the ace all-rounder is in doubt of being picked for the upcoming tour of South Africa as well. As per a report on InsideSport, Hardik has been asked to report to the NCA. The selectors want t Hardik to recover and then prove his fitness at the NCA for being eligible for selection. “His recovery from injury will mainly depend on rest. He should be visiting the NCA soon and we will take a call on his inclusion in South Africa tour depending on his fitness,” a BCCI official told InsideSport. The official also confirmed that at the moment Hardik is nowhere near full fitness and that is concerning. “At this moment, he is no way near the required fitness level for Test cricket. He needs time and we don’t want to rush things like was the case before the World Cup. If he is ready, he will be sent for the ODI and T20 series,” the official told.
Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir feels that the all-rounder can still make a comeback to the T20I squad if he can find his rhythm and start bowling regularly. BCCI's chief selector Chetan Sharma had assured that Hardik would be bowling the T20 World Cup at the time if squad announcement, however the all-rounder played only as a batter in the Pakistan opener which left captain Virat Kohli with only five bowling choices. Although he did return as a bowler in the following matches, the fitness issue remained and thus began India's search for a new No.6.Gambhir, in conversation with India Today, does believe that while the process is long, Hardik himself cannot be ruled out. Gambhir also added that replacement players should be given a longer rope so that the management can understand their capabilities.
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"You want find a No.6 in one day. Nor will you find a replacement for it. And you cannot count out Hardik Pandya as well. People have already started writing him off, but if he keeps himself fit, does regular bowling, come back to form, he should definitely get a chance, he is still young. But with that if you give other players a chance as well, and give them a longer rope, only then will you understand their capability. If you keep changing players after every series you won't be able to find your best XI. There is replacement for every player in this country, given the amount of cricket we play in India, no one is invincible or indispensable. But players must be trusted with the role for a longer period to understand their capabilities," the ODI World Cup-winning player said.
