“Obsession with personal landmarks been bothering me for ages”, Ab de Villiers comes in support of Hardik Pandya for Tilak Varma 49 runs controversy.

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has expressed his surprise at the level of criticism aimed at Hardik Pandya following his decision to hit a six in the third T20I against the West Indies, even though Tilak Varma was just one run away from an unbeaten score of 50. De Villiers has highlighted his concern over the prevalent obsession with statistics in the cricketing world, a sentiment he has held for quite some time.

During the match held in Guyana on August 8, India emerged victorious against the West Indies by securing a seven-wicket win in the third T20I. In pursuit of a target of 160 runs, India found themselves at 158/3 in the 18th over. At that moment, Tilak Varma required just one run to reach a personal score of 50. However, it was Hardik Pandya who faced the next delivery and hit it for a six, securing the victory for the Indian team in a crucial match.

This decision by Pandya prompted criticism from several cricket experts who questioned the choice to not allow the young Varma the opportunity to complete his half-century. Some cricket enthusiasts even compared Pandya’s action to instances where notable players like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli had intentionally blocked deliveries to allow their partners to face the bowling and reach personal milestones. Despite the criticism, AB de Villiers has come forward to support Hardik Pandya’s decision.

Abd said “It doesn’t matter if you get 50 or 100 or 150 or 200. Who cares if you get five or 10 wickets? Who will care is your teammate next to you who knows that you played for the team. You got the two important wickets of the day. Yes, your name will not be on a board, but you committed to a game plan. You got the important wickets, which ultimately contributed in your team winning the match.

He lighted more on his opinions “It’s [obsession with personal landmarks] been bothering me for ages. Commentators are guilty of this. They push it. It’s not about stats or milestones, it about players who are committed to play for the team.”