Hardik Pandya not in contention for the tour of South Africa; asked to report to NCA

After being dropped from the home series against New Zealand, reports suggest that Hardik Pandya is in doubt of being picked for the upcoming South Africa tour due to fitness issues.

According to Inside Sport, Hardik has been asked to report at National Cricket Academy (NCA), where he will have to undergo rehabilitation and need to prove his fitness before making his way back in the Indian team.

“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 Inside Sport.

Hardik played his last Test match against England in 2018. Thereafter, he has not been in the contention for red-ball cricket.

The official also confirmed that Hardik is currently fit enough to pass the fitness test required for the longest format.

“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 added.

Hardik may not even feature for Baroda in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. The selectors want him to be fully fit before playing any match.

“Playing in Vijay Hazare will be up to his fitness. We have important series coming up and it is better for him to be fit than playing in Hazare. But that is a call that needs to be taken after he is fully fit. At the moment, he is not. If he wants to play, it will be up to him,” the official concluded.

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November 24, 2021 at 06:20PM