cricket

Updated: Feb 22, 2019 13:44 IST

With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doctor asking all-rounder Hardik Pandya to strengthen his core post a fitness test in Mumbai, board officials are not too pleased as the player had been flown to Australia post rehab so that he can work on his fitness under the watchful eyes of the national trainers. With the World Cup a few months away, being ruled out from the Australia series means that Pandya will hardly get any match time before the showpiece event in England that starts on May 30.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, a senior board official said that this was highly uncalled for as Pandya is an integral part of the team and every effort was made to ensure that he stays with the senior team and gets to work on his fitness, especially with the World Cup round the corner.

Also Read: BCCI doctor asks Pandya to strengthen core; decision on IPL participation in 3 weeks

“This is the year of the World Cup and the issue with Hardik’s back once again raises serious questions about the strength and conditioning department of the Indian team and the NCA. A player is declared fit after heavy testing under the BCCI protocols, thereafter he is with the Indian team and after sometime with the team, his back stiffness recurs.

“Does that not indicate that his management by the Indian strength and conditioning and physiotherapy staff leaves a lot to be desired? It seems that he gets fitter and stronger when he is handled elsewhere and his condition deteriorates when he is under the care of the team’s support staff,” he said.

Echoing the sentiments, another board functionary said: “An office bearer has asked pertinent questions in this regard earlier as well but no answers are forthcoming. It is a case of total opaqueness. Gradual recurrence of back stiffness puts doubts about his injury management by the BCCI team.”

BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry had earlier written a mail to the board, accessed by Hindustan Times, asking about the processes being followed at the NCA and the platform at which the Yo-Yo test was made compulsory for selection in the Indian team.

Coming back to Pandya, his status as far as participating in the Indian Premier League will be taken in three weeks from now.

Having suffered a back injury during the Asia Cup game against Pakistan, Pandya completed his rehab successfully and proved his fitness in a Ranji Trophy game before being flown to Australia for the third and fourth Test.

While chief coach Ravi Shastri had made it clear that a call on playing him would be taken keeping his lack of match practice in mind, sources in the know of developments had said that he was flown in so that he gets to train with the national trainers.

Also Read: Pandya ruled out of series with injury; Jadeja named replacement in ODI squad

“If you realise, Baroda wasn’t playing a game for 16 days since the match against Mumbai from December 14. While it is true that he had played just one game since returning from injury, the team management thought that it was best to have him around the team to ensure that he is fully recovered by the time the ODI series gets underway on January 12. The level of training and prepping goes a level higher when you are with the national team and under the watchful eyes of the Indian trainers,” a board functionary had said.

Sadly Pandya has had a tough time on and off the field and is now set to head to the NCA to start work on his fitness next week.