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Former Baroda coach Dav Whatmore recently took a pointed jab at Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Whatmore, who had stints with various international teams including Sri Lanka (World Cup win in 1996), Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, served as Baroda’s coach during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He was also the coach of the Indian side that won the U19 World Cup in 2008 under leadership of Virat Kohli.
Dav Whatmore’s amusement on Hardik Pandya
In an interview with the Pakistan YouTube channel Pak Passion, Whatmore highlighted his bemusement at Hardik’s continued association with Baroda despite his prolonged absence from the team. He remarked, “It always amuses me that he’s [Hardik] termed as the all-rounder from Baroda but he hasn’t played for Baroda for years! So, yes, there are some who don’t do that,”
Hardik has not played first-class cricket for Baroda since 2018, making only sporadic appearances in domestic competitions aside from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Also READ: Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya announces separation with wife Natasa Stankovic
BCCI’s efforts to encourage domestic cricket participation
Whatmore also commended the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its recent efforts to encourage players to participate in domestic formats like the Ranji Trophy. He noted, “Recently, I’ve seen that the BCCI have been keen that players participate in Ranji Trophy as well as other two formats to ensure they see cricket as sports. Efforts are made to make sure 4-day cricket is not neglected,”
Pandya’s current status and domestic cricket participation
Despite not being part of the Indian ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, Hardik remains a key figure in the T20I squad, though he is neither the captain nor the vice-captain. The captaincy has been handed to Suryakumar Yadav, with Hardik’s focus shifting to his role in the T20I series.
Pandya’s white-ball performances continue to be impressive, with notable records in both ODIs and T20Is. However, his domestic cricket participation remains limited, raising questions about his long-term commitment to the domestic circuit.
