Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has said that the selectors should accept that we don’t have a genuine fast bowling all-rounder and stop trying to create one. Gambhir further added that the BCCI should groom youngsters at domestic level for the role of a fast bowling all-rounder.

India have a solid batting order with players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli who scores consistently for the team. Also the bowling department has witnessed improvement in recent years and especially in red-ball cricket. However, one area where India is lacking with absence of Hardik Pandya is a fast bowling all-rounder in the squad. Venkatesh Iyer was included in the Indian team for ODIs against South Africa but he wasn’t bowling much in the series. 

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir has a different say on the whole issue. Gambhir is of the opinion that BCCI must admit that they don’t have a fast bowling all-rounder and move on with it. 

“If you don’t have something, don’t go for it. You have to accept and move on. Don’t try and create something which you can’t create; that is where the problem lies,” Gambhir said to Sports Today.

“I have always believed that international cricket is all about delivering and not grooming someone. Grooming happens in domestic and India A level. When you represent your country, you should be ready to go out there, and perform straightaway,” he further explained.  

Gambhir further suggested that the selectors should groom players from domestic players for the role. 

“We keep talking about not having an all-rounder since Kapil Dev, to be honest. So move on and try to develop people at the Ranji Trophy, and once they get ready, get them in international cricket,” he explained.

India had been heavily reliant on Pandya for the role but since his back surgery in 2019 he has bowled rarely, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar are interesting prospects who can bat as well as bowl,