Mumbai: Team India allrounder Hardik Pandyawho has been away from cricketing action since sustaining an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup group match against Bangladesh at Pune, could potentially return to international cricket during the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan at home, BCCI secretary Jay Shah told reporters on the sidelines of the Women’s Premier League-2 auction here on Saturday.
“We are monitoring it on a day-to-day basis. He is at the National Cricket Academy. He is working very hard and we will let you know in the due course the moment he is fit. He could be fit before the Afghanistan series also,” Shah said.
The BCCI secretary also informed that pacer Mohammed Shami, who is out of the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour due to an ankle injury, could return for the two-Test series in SA that starts from January 26. “Shami should be ready for the South Africa series. He is not at the NCA yet but will go there. We are confident he will recover in time,” Shah said. Shami has an ankle injury and the BCCI previously had said that the pacer is “currently undergoing medical treatment and his availability is subject to fitness.”
Shah also revealed that the Board is “monitoring ‘keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s recovery at the NCA.” “We missed him in the World Cup,” Shah rued.
Amidst speculation that Rohit Sharma has already been appointed the Indian captain for the T20 World Cup in June, Shah said, “What is the need to have clarity right now? It (T20 World Cup) is starting in June, we have the IPL before that and the series against Afghanistan. We will take a good decision.”
The BCCI had recently announced that head coach Rahul Dravid and the rest of the support staff will continue post the 2023 ODI World Cup, but didn’t mention the tenure of the extension. “We have given the extension, but we are yet to finalise the contract (with the coaching staff). We did not get the time at all, as they finished (with the World Cup). I had a meeting with them, and we mutually agreed that they will continue. We will sit down and decide (on the tnsure of the contract) once they return from South Africa,” Shah said.
New NCA, N-E academies in Aug
Shah also informed that the new National Cricket Academy, which will be known as the ‘Centre of Excellence’ and the Board’s academies in the North-East should be launched in eight months’ time. He also revealed that the Board was launching a new cricket academy in Jammu & Kashmir. “Midway through August, we’ll see academies opening up in the Northeast and the new National Cricket Academy, which will be known as ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Bengaluru, and the work on the Jammu and Kashmir academy has started,” Shah said.
The Northeastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh will have academies in their capital cities. It will, of course, not be easy to start an academy in troubled Manipur.
“We are monitoring it on a day-to-day basis. He is at the National Cricket Academy. He is working very hard and we will let you know in the due course the moment he is fit. He could be fit before the Afghanistan series also,” Shah said.
The BCCI secretary also informed that pacer Mohammed Shami, who is out of the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour due to an ankle injury, could return for the two-Test series in SA that starts from January 26. “Shami should be ready for the South Africa series. He is not at the NCA yet but will go there. We are confident he will recover in time,” Shah said. Shami has an ankle injury and the BCCI previously had said that the pacer is “currently undergoing medical treatment and his availability is subject to fitness.”
Shah also revealed that the Board is “monitoring ‘keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s recovery at the NCA.” “We missed him in the World Cup,” Shah rued.
Amidst speculation that Rohit Sharma has already been appointed the Indian captain for the T20 World Cup in June, Shah said, “What is the need to have clarity right now? It (T20 World Cup) is starting in June, we have the IPL before that and the series against Afghanistan. We will take a good decision.”
The BCCI had recently announced that head coach Rahul Dravid and the rest of the support staff will continue post the 2023 ODI World Cup, but didn’t mention the tenure of the extension. “We have given the extension, but we are yet to finalise the contract (with the coaching staff). We did not get the time at all, as they finished (with the World Cup). I had a meeting with them, and we mutually agreed that they will continue. We will sit down and decide (on the tnsure of the contract) once they return from South Africa,” Shah said.
New NCA, N-E academies in Aug
Shah also informed that the new National Cricket Academy, which will be known as the ‘Centre of Excellence’ and the Board’s academies in the North-East should be launched in eight months’ time. He also revealed that the Board was launching a new cricket academy in Jammu & Kashmir. “Midway through August, we’ll see academies opening up in the Northeast and the new National Cricket Academy, which will be known as ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Bengaluru, and the work on the Jammu and Kashmir academy has started,” Shah said.
The Northeastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh will have academies in their capital cities. It will, of course, not be easy to start an academy in troubled Manipur.
