Hardik Pandya attends a practice session on the eve of their Asia Cup cricket match against Pakistan at the Nondescripts Cricket Club indoor nets in Colombo on September 7, 2023. File
| Photo Credit: AFP
Hardik Pandya doesn’t mince words when he says that as a multi-skilled cricketer, his workload is twice and at times even thrice compared to a specialist batter or bowler.
Pandya’s 87 largely contributed to India’s score of 266 all out in the opening rain-affected game against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup in Colombo.
For someone, who had a career-threatening lower-back stress fracture and remained out of international cricket for considerable period, the Baroda player has more than made amends after being handed national T20 captaincy and is again bowling at brisk pace.
“As an all-rounder, my workload is twice or thrice as anyone else. When a batter in the team goes and bats and finishes his batting and is heading home, I’ll still be bowling after that,” Pandya told Star Sports.
“So for me, all the managing, all the pushing, and everything happens during the sessions or my training or my pre-camp season,” he spoke about his workload management.
The ODI vice-captain also explained that he reads the match situation and then takes a call on whether to bowl his full quota of 10 overs or not.
“When the game arrives, it is more about whatever the team requires, and the managing side goes out of the park, and it is more practical calls that how many overs are needed for me.
“Because if 10 overs are not needed, there is no point in me bowling 10 overs, but if 10 overs are needed, then I’ll be bowling. I always believed that I give myself a chance to succeed, which is by reading the game, which is by backing myself,” he added.
Self belief will always be a key ingredient to get success at the highest level.
“I have realised that no matter what happens, you have to back yourself, you have to believe that you are the best in the world. That does not guarantee you success, but at the same point of time, it does give you and it does guide you to work towards success, so practically back yourself,” he signed off.
