Former Indian fast bowler Praveen Kumar has strongly criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), calling for fair treatment of all players under the same set of rules. During the announcement of central contracts in February, the BCCI emphasized the requirement for players, who are fit and not on national duty, to make themselves available for their respective domestic teams.
Speculation arose regarding the omission of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the BCCI’s player retention list, allegedly due to their unavailability for domestic matches despite not being engaged in international duties at the time.
Although Iyer did participate in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semi-final and final matches, these games occurred subsequent to his exclusion from the BCCI contract roster. Conversely, Kishan did not feature in any matches for Jharkhand during the tournament. Another player facing scrutiny from various quarters is Hardik Pandya, who was retained in the ‘A’ category of central contracts despite questions surrounding his participation in domestic cricket during periods of non-national duty.
Praveen Kumar said: “Hardik Pandya chaand se thodi utar ke aaya hai? Khelna padega isko bhi. Kyun iske liye alag niyam hai? Isko bhi board ko dhamkana chahiye. (Has Hardik Pandya descended from the moon? He has to play too. Why are there different rules for him? The BCCI should threaten him.”
“Why would you play just the domestic T20 tournament? Play all three formats. Or have you played 60-70 Test matches that you will just play T20. The country needs you. If you don’t want to play Test cricket, give it in writing. Maybe Pandya has been informed that he would not be picked for Tests. I don’t have any clear information.”
Pandya has been sidelined from international cricket since sustaining an ankle injury prior to the Cricket World Cup 2023. His recent return to action in the DY Patil T20 Cup precedes his anticipated leadership role for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, succeeding Rohit Sharma. Last November, Pandya made a noteworthy move back to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans through a trade agreement between the franchises.
During his tenure with Gujarat Titans, Pandya played a pivotal role in their inaugural season in 2022, guiding the team to a triumphant debut with the coveted league trophy.
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