Scott Styris has said that India’s focus at the moment needs to be get Hardik Pandya firing as a ‘full all-rounder’ at the moment ahead of the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka. Hardik, who was the vice-captain of India’s T20 World Cup winning side, and had also led the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, was overlooked for Suryakumar Yadav as he became the skipper of the team in the shortest format of the game.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that it was fitness issues that forced them to remove Hardik from the leadership unit as Shubman Gill would be appointed as the vice-captain. Speaking to India Today, Styris said that Hardik needs to be left alone at the moment and let him a player who leads by example without any titles. The former all-rounder said that once Hardik can lead from the front in terms of his fitness and maintain consistency, he can be considered for leadership roles later on.
“My take on Hardik Pandya is just leave him alone. Let him be a player in this team who leads by example rather than an official captain’s or vice captain’s title.”
“Once he starts leading by example in his body, and his fitness is good and he does it over a consistent period of time. Then I would look to bring back the captaincy for him,” said Styris.
Styris feels that Hardik is a good player, but at the moment the team cannot have a player who is in and out of the side and the management will need to make sure he is firing on all cylinders as a full all-rounder, who can bat higher up in the order and bowl his full quota of overs.
“He can handle senior players, and he’s such a good player. He’s a good guy, all of those things. But at the moment, you know, it’s really hard to have a captain or a vice captain who’s in and out or hasn’t played a bilateral series for a year.”
“Which is what is the case for him because of injury concerns. So they have to make sure that they get him up and running. And that is, in my world, as a full all-rounder. That’s not just someone who, who bats six and bowls an over or two here or there. They need him firing on all cylinders, and so just let him concentrate on that for now. Worry about the leadership later,” said Styris.
