Former coach of Baroda Dave Whatmore recently batted Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Whatmore, who had stints with various international teams including Sri Lanka (won the World Cup in 1996), Pakistan, Bangladesh again Zimbabwe, served as Baroda’s coach for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He was also the coach of the Indian team that won the medal U19 World Cup in 2008 under the leadership of Virat Kohli.
Dav Whatmore’s recreation of Hardik Pandya
In an interview with Pakistan YouTube channel Pak Passion, Whatmore expressed his delight at Hardik’s continued association with Baroda despite his long absence from the team. He said, “It always amuses me that he is [Hardik] he is called as a player who plays for Baroda but he has not played for Baroda for years! So, yes, there are those who do not do that,”
Hardik has not played first-class cricket for Baroda since 2018, making only occasional appearances in domestic competitions apart from Indian Premier League (IPL).
UPDATE: Indian producer Hardik Pandya announces separation from wife Natasa Stankovic
BCCI’s efforts to promote domestic cricket participation
Whatmore also recommended the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with its recent efforts to encourage players to participate in domestic formats like the Ranji Trophy. He commented, “Recently, I saw that the BCCI was keen for the players to participate in the Ranji Trophy and two other ways to ensure that they see cricket as a sport. Efforts are being made to ensure that 4-day cricket is not neglected,”
Pandya’s current status and participation in domestic cricket
Despite not being part of the Indian ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, Hardik is still an important player in the T20I team, although he is not the captain or vice-captain. The captain is assigned Suryakumar Yadavwhere Hardik is more focused on his role in the T20I series.
Pandya’s white-ball performance continues to be impressive, with impressive records in ODIs and T20Is. However, his participation in domestic cricket remains limited, raising questions about his long-term commitment to the domestic circuit.
READ MORE: Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic relationship timeline: From love proposal to online breakup
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