Lance Klusener – He (Pandya) is a fantastic cricketer and is one of the best all-rounders in the world
Former South African great Lance Klusener, who rates Hardik Pandya as one of the best fast-bowling all-rounders, said on Saturday that he thinks the Indian may have given up on Test cricket a little too easily managing his workload.
Former South African great Lance Klusener, who rates Hardik Pandya as one of the best fast-bowling all-rounders, said on Saturday that he thinks the Indian may have given up on Test cricket a little too easily managing his workload.
Pandya, who last played a Test for India in September 2018, has been plagued by injuries and is only able to play white-ball cricket, therefore he will not be participating in the upcoming World Test Championship final against Australia.
“He (Pandya) is a fantastic cricketer, and if he can stay fit and continues to bowl 135 kmph, he will always be challenging… as one of the best all-rounders in the world,”
Klusener told reporters in a media interaction at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club.
Pandya had ruled himself out by stating that it would not be “ethical” to take someone’s place without even contributing one percent in India’s journey to the WTC final.
Asked if Pandya gave up on Test cricket a bit too easily, Klusener said,
“Yes, possibly. Test cricket (is) always the pinnacle of testing where you are as a cricketer, and testing yourselves.
“Test cricket hasn’t changed much from way back but I also understand that times have moved on as well.”
Pace-bowling all-rounder, not dibbly-dobblers
Klusener added that a fast-bowling all-rounder is not a “dibbly-dobbler” but someone who can consistently bowl at 135kph.
“Fast bowling all-rounder needs to be bowling 135. I don’t think there would be some dibbly-dobblers that we used to see in England, I don’t think all that (is) effective anymore.
“I honestly believe that a guy like Ben Stokes who bowls 135, those people are still gold in any form of the game,”
said Klusener, a member of the 1999 ODI World Cup team that had a heartbreak loss to Australia in the semi-final.
But in today’s era, handling the three formats has contributed to diminishing of the fast-bowling all-rounder. However, Klusener feels that it will happen again.
“I always think it goes in cycles. When I played, there was a lot of fast-bowling all-rounders… then we kind of saw the all-rounder bowling spin.
“Certainly at this point, I don’t see as many fast-bowling all-rounders; I just think it’s a cycle. We might just see in the next five years those kinds of cricketers coming through again. If we manage the workloads correctly there is a lot of cricket, there’s still a place for them in any team.”
Klusener feels India is well-equipped to field a pace- or spin-heavy team and it will be horses for courses for India in the World Test Championship final against Australia, which will start at The Oval on June 7
“Spin has been India’s strength traditionally. They have the attack that can play on any surface,”
he said when asked whether India should go for two spinners or one pace-bowling all-rounder in Shardul Thakur.
“The way the Indian seamers have developed in the last couple of years — a reason why they play in successive WTC finals, that’s why they are one of the best Test sides in the world.
“Teams in the past would prepare green tops so India won’t be able to compete, but that’s not the case anymore. I think they are now well equipped, whatever the conditions, they will be able to pick the team that will be competitive.”
