Cricket News

Hardik Pandya’s contract sparks controversy: Inconsistency or pragmatic exception?

In a controversial move, the Indian Cricket Board recently excluded Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from their annual central contract list for the current season. This decision has sparked debate within the cricketing community, as both players have done well in recent times.

The governing body’s decision was based on the two players’ absence from domestic tournaments despite being available. The board has emphasized the importance of prioritizing domestic cricket for players outside of national commitments. Proponents of the board’s stance argue that it sends a strong message about the importance of domestic cricket. Players contracted by the board are expected to prioritize domestic tournaments when not on national duty. This ensures a strong pool of talent continues to develop in the domestic circuit, ultimately contributing to the strength of the national team in the long run.

How did Hardik Pandya land a contract?

However, what surprised fans and pundits was the fact that Hardik Pandya landed a contract despite not playing red-ball cricket. The disparity between the treatment of Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and Hardik Pandya has indeed fueled the controversy surrounding the board’s central contracts. While Iyer and Kishan faced exclusion reportedly due to their lack of domestic participation, Pandya has secured a Grade A contract despite his exclusive focus on white-ball cricket.

This discrepancy highlights the board’s apparent flexibility for certain star players. It is believed that the board was willing to make an exception for Pandya due to his crucial role in India’s white-ball setup and his commitment to participating in domestic white-ball tournaments.

“We have had discussions with Pandya, who has been told to play domestic white-ball tournaments when he is available. At this stage, according to the assessment of the medical team, he is not in a position to bowl in red-ball tournaments. So playing Ranji Trophy is out of the equation for Pandya. But he has to play other white-ball tournaments if there are no India commitments. If not, he will miss out on a contract,” a board source was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

While this may be justification for the board’s decision in Pandya’s case, the situation does raise broader questions about the consistency and transparency of their player selection and contract award policies.