‘Don’t ask for luxury, but…’ – Hardik Pandya slams West Indies cricket board over lack of ‘basic necessities’ for visiting teams

Team India won the three-match ODI series 2-1 following their mammoth 200-run win in the decider ODI in Trinidad on Tuesday. The visitors have now won the Test series and the ODI series and have the five-T20I series to go. As such, speaking after the recent win, India’s acting skipper Hardik Pandya opened up on West Indies Cricket’s hospitality towards the visiting team. He said that while the teams won’t ask for luxury, the board needs to do better to provide basic necessities.

“This was one of the nicest grounds we have played. Things can be better when we come to West Indies next time. From travelling to managing a lot of things. Last year also, some hiccups happened. I think it’s time for West Indies Cricket to take note of it and make sure that when a team travels, we don’t ask for luxury but we need some basic necessities taken care of. Other than that, really enjoyed coming here and playing some good cricket,” Hardik Pandya said on Tuesday.

‘The game was kind of over in the powerplay itself’ – Hardik Pandya

The skipper further dissected the game saying, “It’s a special win. To be honest, I look forward to these kinds of games as a captain where there is something on the line. This was more than an international game. We knew what was at stake and there would be a lot of disappointment if we lost. The boys showed great character. They enjoyed it as well, in pressure situations it’s important to enjoy it as well. You don’t become a hero without handling pressure.”

Pandya, who himself scored 70* off 52 balls thanked his batters for setting up the foundation of the win. He said, “Scoring 350 was always crucial. When you have a total like that, batters chase the ball and if luck is on your side, batters will nick it. A couple of really good catches by [Shubman] Gill. West Indies woke up very late and there was that partnership that took it to the 34th over. The game was kind of over in the powerplay itself.”