India all-rounder and limited-overs vice-captain Hardik Pandya has announced that he is not putting his name in the hat for the India squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, citing that it would be “ethically” wrong for him to play Test cricket again without “earning” his spot back in the longest format.
Rohit Sharma’s team will meet Australia in the WTC Final 2023 at The Oval on June 7.
India are already without two first-choice players in Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant.
Hardik Pandya has not played Test cricket for 5 years
India lost the WTC final to New Zealand in 2021, at Southampton, when they played 3 pacers and 2 spinners while the Kiwis played 4 pacers plus seam-bowling all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.
After that loss, India dropped Ashwin in the 5-Test series in n England, picked up Shardul Thakur as the 4th seamer and someone who can bat a bit, and drew the series 2-2.
Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid will be facing with the conundrum of picking Thakur or Ashwin for the WTC final. That would have been solved to an extent had they had their premier seam-bowling all-rounder – that is Hardik Pandya – in the squad.
However, Pandya, who hasn’t played Test cricket since 2018 due to his back injury issues, has now removed himself from the possibility of playing in the WTC final.
Hardik Pandya said: “No. I am an ethically very strong person. I haven’t done 10% to reach there. I am not even a part of 1%. So me coming there and taking someone’s place will ethically not go well.
“If I want to play Test cricket, I will go through the grind and earn my spot. Hence, for that reason I will not be available for the WTC final or future test series until I feel that I have earned my spot,” the 29-year-old added.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya will be captaining India in the first ODI against Australia, on Friday, in Mumbai because skipper Rohit Sharma is unavailable due to personal reasons. Rohit will return to lead the side in the 2nd and 3rd ODIs, before the players take part in the IPL 2023.
