Injury prone flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya is likely to retire from Test cricket to prolong his white ball career. According to a report in InsideSport, the Baroda all-rounder wants to focus more on IPL, T20s and ODIs. The report states that he has informally informed the BCCI about his desire but he is yet to make an official announcement. Pandya last played a Test match back in 2018 in England and since then he has been out of action in Test cricket. He is also not being considered for the South Africa Tour. “He has been struggling with injuries for a while and although he hasn’t informed us officially, he is considering Test retirement. It will help him keep his focus on white-ball cricket. He was anyway not in our plans for Tests. It will be a great loss for sure but we have to prepare backup,” a top BCCI official told InsideSport.
Meanwhile, Pandya has decided to skip Vijay Hazare Trophy (National One Dayers) starting across the country from Wednesday as he is undergoing an extensive rehabilitation programme in order to regain his bowling fitness according to a Republic TV report. The report states, Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) had sent an e-mail to Hardik enquiring about his availability for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has rarely played for Baroda in the last three years. However he gave a one-line reply that he is currently doing rehab in Mumbai. Even the BCA doesn't know. It is understood that he is trying to do some strength and conditioning module for his back which is no longer in best of shape post-surgery in 2019," the source revealed. If Hardik doesn't play the domestic tournaments, he will not be considered for a comeback in the Indian side for the white-ball tournaments. "The current national selection committee has told all the players that all those who are not in the India squad should go back and play domestic cricket -- Hazare and Ranji Trophy. Dravid made it mandatory for every player to come to NCA, appear for all the necessary fitness tests in front of the coaches, trainers and physios and then only are given the go-ahead to play matches.
