“He will play the 50-over cricket because there is a World Cup in India next year. After that, you might see him going from that as well”- Shastri.
The former India head coach Ravi Shastri has made a huge statement about all-rounder Hardik Pandya. The IPL winner Gujarat Titans skipper might quit the 50-over match following his participation in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 that is set to take place in India.
“50-over format might be pushed back but it can still survive if you focus just on the World Cup. From the ICC’s point of view, paramount importance should be given to World Cups, whether it is T20 World Cup or 50-over World Cup, the bucks have to increase”, Shastri told to Sky Sports.
“Test cricket will always remain because of the importance it brings to the game. You have players already choosing what formats they want to play. Take a Hardik Pandya. He wants to play T20 cricket and he is very clear in his mind that ‘I do not want to play anything else,” he said.
“He will play the 50-over cricket because there is a World Cup in India next year. After that, you might see him going from that as well. You will see a similar thing happening with other players, they will start choosing formats, they have every right to,” he further added.
Also Check:
Ben Stokes, one of the top all-rounders in the world, resigned from ODI cricket due to a lack of sustainability to be able to play in all three formats. In modern-day cricket, players have to endure a grueling international schedule. Therefore, there is a possibility that some stars could choose to withdraw from one or more styles in the near term as Shastri has predicted in Pandya’s case.