India are hopeful of premier all-rounder regaining 100% bowling fitness prior to the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman, stated Paras Mhambrey, the interim bowling coach on the tour of Sri Lanka last month where Pandya bowled a total of just 16 overs over four games.
Speaking to IANS, the former India and Mumbai cricketer said given Pandya’s importance to the Indian limited-overs side in the T20 World Cup year, the NCA staff doesn’t want to take any chances with his injury and are focused on ensuring his workload is managed well.
“With Hardik, we are obviously slowly taking it forward. I am not going to push him in terms of the number of overs to be bowled. He is pretty much being monitored on how much we are going to push him. We have to slowly build up. The World Cup is coming.”
“We know the batting that he offers you. But if we add the bowling to it, he brings a different dimension. In that sense we are working on it. Everyone — strength & conditioning department and the physios — is in sync and we have chatted it out,”
said Mhambrey, who is also the bowling coach at the NCA in Bangalore.
Since after lower back surgery that Pandya had back in October 2019, has been able to bowl only occasionally. While the 27-year-old has been working extensively on his recovery and fitness, bowling his full quota has been an arduous task for him.
Whether India have Pandya available for the T20 World Cup as a power-hitter alone or someone also capable of bowling his four overs and thus balancing the side better, Mhambrey said, will depend heavily on how he copes up at the NCA and then in the UAE leg of the IPL for Mumbai Indians, just prior to the ICC event.
“Yes, the way I look at him and the way I feel, I am sure he will bowl [in IPL]. First step is the IPL. Maybe the franchise will decide how will they use him. That, kind of, will decide how it will be preparatory ground for the World Cup,”
he concluded.
