"Abdul Razzaq was a bigger and better performer" - Former Pakistan captain's massive statement on Hardik Pandya after 2025 Champions Trophy
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has claimed that Abdul Razzaq was a better all-rounder than India’s Hardik Pandya. The 44-year-old added that the Men in Blue couldn’t utilize his potential, adding that the veteran was a ‘better and bigger performer’.
Hafeez and legendary pacer Shoaib Akhtar stressed that Hardik Pandya doesn’t have the skills of a fast bowler but has the mindset to deliver with the ball. The remarks came as Pandya shared the new ball with Mohammad Shami in the semifinal and final against Australia and New Zealand respectively. The medium pacer bagged just four wickets in five matches but at a decent economy rate of 5.83. The right-handed batter was equally handy with the bat in the two key matches.
Hafeez said on a Pakistani show ‘Game on Hai’ (via Hindustan Times):
“I would agree with him. You take out the details of Abdul Razzaq's performances. He was a better and bigger performer. But the system didn't look after him and the player also didn't respond that much. He was limited in his skills and didn't try to outdo his own potential. Whatever I've seen of Razzaq, he was better than this version of Hardik.”
In the same show, Akhtar said about Pandya:
“Hardik is no Marshall, Waqar, Lee, or Srinath. It's just his mindset. You throw him the new ball, he does it. You ask him to bowl in the middle, he does it. However, he is not that powerful hitter also. He had given that belief that the world is your stage. The market allows you to become big.”
“We didn’t give him the respect” – Shoaib Akhtar on Abdul Razzaq’s contributions amid comparison with Hardik Pandya
Shoaib Akhtar further opined that Abdul Razzaq didn’t get the recognition he deserved owing to his all-round skills. The cricketer-turned-commentator reminisced how Razzaq once single-handedly won a game for Pakistan against South Africa in 2010. The 49-year-old said in the same interaction:
“He was asked to open, played in the middle order and sometimes even lower order. He has done everything but he didn't get the respect until he won a match against South Africa single-handedly. I was at the other end. I defended a full toss and he said, 'Don't lift your bat'. I said, 'I won't'. He was hitting the ball so hard that day that I thought if the ball came towards me, it would go through me.”
“But we didn't give him the respect, and neither did we give Azhar Mahmood the respect that he deserved. He was a great performer with the ball,” he added.
In that match, Razzaq smashed an unbeaten 109 off 72 balls as the Men in Green beat the Proteas by one wicket in Abu Dhabi in 2010.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya has joined the franchise camp ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.