Legendary India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has shown his disagreement with Ravi Shastri’s comments about Hardik Pandya’s fitness in Test cricket. Team India is in desperate search of a fast-bowling all-rounder in the Test line-up to get the right balance to play in overseas conditions. Test Heavyweights Australia have Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh, while England have Ben Stokes who made their Test teams better by providing the right balance.
“His body cannot cope with Test cricket. Let’s be very clear about that,” Shastri had told The Week earlier.
“After the World Cup, if his body is fit enough, he should take over captaincy in white-ball cricket,” Shastri had added.
In the interview with the same publication, Dev displayed his disagreement with Shastri’s comments.
“Why? I respect his statement, but why?” Dev told the Week.
The legendary all-rounder suggested that Pandya is a great athlete and he has to work hard on his body to play Test cricket. The World Cup-winning captain gave Denil Lillee’s example who sustained numerous injuries during his playing career but ended up amongst one of the best pacers to play the game.
“Nobody has had more breakdowns than Dennis Lillee. So, I don’t believe that. Human body can come back from any corner, come back into top condition. If you say Hardik Pandya―who is such a great athlete, looks so good―has to work hard on his body, he has to work hard. His body can’t take it? I can understand if that big West Indian off-spinner’s [Rakheem Cornwall] body can’t take it. But, over a period of time, his body can also do it if he starts working towards that,” Kapil said.
Kapil further said that the tight schedule and the IPL have increased the chances of injuries for the current generation of cricket,
“I think today they are playing 10 months a year so I give the benefit of the doubt to them. But everybody has to look after themselves. The IPL is a great thing, but it can spoil them, too. Because with a little bit of injury, you will play the IPL, but with a little bit of injury, you will not play for India. You will take a break,” he added.
He asserted that the BCCI needs to work on the cricket calendar as he pointed out IPL 2023 getting finished just days before the World Test Championship Final.
“And most important, the cricket board has to understand how much cricket they should play. That is the bottom line. If, today, you have the resources, the money, but not three years’ calendar or five years’ calendar, then something is wrong with the cricket board. I can understand, 30 years ago, you needed more money and you call the West Indies [or someone else]. You don’t need more money now; you need better cricket. You are finishing the IPL three days before a Test match. Planning should be done at least three years in advance, five years in advance. That’s why I admire Australia,” he added.
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