Former cricketers and fans have expressed their shock at the latest decision of the Indian cricket selectors, more so since the team’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been dropped as the captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka. There has been a lot of talk and discussion among cricketers and authorities over this decision, and many of them are baffled by it. Other legends include Hardik as talented player in the Indian cricket team who acted as captain when Rohit Sharma was unavailable.
He was also the vice-captain of the Indian T20 team during the recently concluded T20 World Cup, where India claimed the title after beating South Africa in the finals played in Barbados. However, Hardik Pandya was surprisingly left out of the captaincy role given his effort and leadership ability in the team.
Shocking Decision: Hardik Pandya Ineligible
Therefore, the young Indian cricketer, Suryakumar Yadav, who had shown excellent leadership qualities in the previous series, has been given the position of captain. Currently, Yadav is the T20I captain of India and has contributed to significant performances for the team, especially in the T20Is against Australia and South Africa last year. The two cricketing icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma get their retirement from the T20 format so the new leadership was expected to take the team forward.
This particular decision to prefer Yadav as the better match than Hardik Pandya not only has a hilarious, amusing reaction but also has posed many questions about the factors utilized by the selectors for the vital leadership positions. The 30-year-old, who has been crucial in India’s setup, had been sidelined to the extent that he was not even-handed the vice-captaincy position, which has now been awarded to Shubman Gill across both T20Is and ODIs.
Selector’s Justification: Fitness and availability
India’s chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, also came to the defense of the selection in a bid to dampen the controversies surrounding it. In response to the criticism, he maintained that Suryakumar Yadav was selected over Hardik Pandya mainly because of fitness, and the latter’s versatility allowed him to play all formats. He said that health issues regarding Pandya were at the center of their decision-making as they feared that he would get another injury.
As stated by Agarkar, the selectors needed a captain whom they could always be sure would be present for the entire series, and the former was considered the better bet in this regard. This justification, however, has not entirely cut short the anxieties of fans and cricketing professionals who believe that Hardik has what it takes to be a leader in the team, and he of late has been delivering great results.
Rashid Larif’s Critique: Fitness as an Excuse
The selection has also been criticized by former Pakistani player Rashid Latif. In one of his videos on YouTube, Latif categorically rejected the fitness excuse as inadequate. He pointed out that most captains in the history of cricket have had fitness issues, and therefore it can be implied that Pandya was removed and indeed may not be fit. This raised the question of whether any other strategic planning issues could have led to Hardik Pandya’s removal from the captaincy line. Latif said on his YouTube channel:
No, here they (the claims) should just hand him a certificate saying he isn’t fit and there are concerns about his fitness. There are plenty of players who weren’t super fit but still became great captains. So, I think it was just an excuse. Because if Surya wasn’t around, then Rishabh (Pant) would have been the captain since you have to look at the future
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