Hardik Pandya is long term all-round option for India, believes Shaun Pollock

A regular in the Indian line-up for a couple of years now, Pandya was selected in the Indian team due to his aggressive gameplay as an all-rounder. Having made an impression since his debut, Pandya became a regular in the Indian squad and considering the lack of quality fast bowling all-rounders, a few analysts even compared Pandya with Kapil Dev.

On the other hand, Pollock stated that considering the current scenario Ben Stokes is one of the best all-rounders in the world. He felt that the T20 format encouraged a lot of players to focus on both the aspects of the game (batting and bowling).

“T20 cricket has made a lot of players realize that they can do well in both the aspects of the game. Speaking of which, I feel currently Ben Stokes is one of the best all-rounders,” Pollock told IANS.

Speaking about Pandya, Pollock regarded him as a great prospect and stated that he is a long term all-round option for the Indian team. The South African felt that the 24-year-old had the back of Virat Kohli due to his style and attitude towards the game.

“Coming to Indian cricket, Pandya is a great player and a long termall-round option. I think Virat Kohli really likes his style and attitude towards the game,” he added.

However, Pollock further stated that the Indian all-rounder needs to settle down and focus on one aspect of his game in order to become the best. He felt that concentrating on contributing with both (bat and bowl) was a difficult task.

“Hardik needs to settle down and concentrate on either bowling or batting, something that keeps him in the side. It is difficult to focus on both the aspects equally and perform on a regular basis. If he focuses on one aspect and look to contribute in the other to some extent, he can become a wonderful all-rounder for India,” Pollock said.