Hardik Pandya's Credentials Deemed 'Ordinary' By Pakistan Greats: "Abdul Razzaq Was Better"

Former Pakistan cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Hafeez hailed India all-rounder Hardik Pandya for his exploits in the recently-concluded Champions Trophy. Hardik played cameos of 28 and 18 in the semi-final and final respectively, helping India lift the title in Dubai last week. However, Akhtar suggested while Hardik, as a bowler, is not on the same level as the likes of Brett Lee or Malcolm Marshall, he exceeds expectations due to the trust shown at him by the Indian team management.

"Hardik Pandya koi Malcolm Marshall ya Waqar Younis nahi hai. Javagal Srinath ya Brett Lee nahi hai. (Hardik is no Marshall, Waqar, Lee or Srinath). It's just his mindset. You throw him the new ball, he does it. You ask him in to bowl in the middle, he does it. However, he is not that powerful hitter also. He had given that belief that the world is your stage. The market allows you to become big," claimed Akhtar.

Akhtar also claimed that Hardik's power-hitting isn't special either as Pakistan had better power-hitters during his playing days.

"Aisi hitting, ye hamari team mein aam thhi (This type of hitting used to be a norm in the Pakistan team). He's really good, but this was very common in Pakistan's team," he added.

Hafeez sided with Akhtar, giving the example of former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. Hafeez also claimed that Razzaq was better than "this version" of Hardik. "I would agree with him. You take out the details of Abdul Razzaq's performances. He was a better and bigger performer. But the system didn't look after him and the player also didn't respond that much. He was limited in his skills, didn't try to outdo his own potential. Whatever I've seen of Razzaq, he was better than this version of Hardik."

To back his claim, Akhtar recalled Razzaq's knock of 109 off just 72 balls in an ODI against South Africa in 2010.

"He was asked to open, played in the middle order and sometimes even lower order. He has done everything but he didn't get the respect until he won a match against South Africa single-handedly. I was at the other end. I defended a full toss and he said 'don't lift your bat'. I said I won't. He was hitting the ball so hard that day that I thought if the ball came towards me, it would go through me. But we didn't give him the respect, and neither did we give Azhar Mahmood the respect that he deserved. He was a great performer with the ball," Akhtar pointed out.

Hafeez went on to add that Pakistan had lost the game mentally after a top order collapse, but Razzaq won the battle of nerves to steal a win from the jaws of defeat.

"That was the best match that I have seen. We had lost that game mentally and physically but Razzaq won it alone," Hafeez recalled.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Hardik Pandya Abdul Razzaq Shoaib Akhtar Mohammad Hafeez Cricket