NZ tour an opportunity for youngsters to get clarity: Pandya

Wellington [New Zealand], November 18 (ANI): India captain Hardik Pandya on Friday said the ongoing limited-overs tour of New Zealand will present an opportunity for young players in the squad to showcase their talent and also get more clarity on their roles, as it will enable them to express themselves freely on the field.
The tour was to kick off on Friday with a T20I at Basin Reserve, Wellington, the first of three T20 fixtures.
However, persistent rainfall and a wet outfield at the Sky Stadium meant that the match was called off without a ball being bowled.
“If the situation demands, I and the more experienced players will play different roles, as this tour is for the new guys to get more clarity, opportunities and a chance to express themselves,” Pandya said.
The squad for the New Zealand tour is shorn of many big names, including regular skipper Rohit Sharma, talisman Virat Kohli and star opener KL Rahul.
It has several new faces, some of whom are yet to cut their teeth in international cricket.
On the overseas exposure to young players, some of whom are yet to experience the pressure of international cricket, the superstar al-rounder said the players have enough experience to take on quality opponents.
Pandya said the young faces in the squad are fearless cricketers who won’t get intimidated by their opponents.
“These guys are young by age, not by experience. They have played plenty of IPL cricket and have a good amount of internationals under their belt as well. I think the youngsters of today don’t get intimidated just because they have not played too much international cricket.”
Pandya said the team was excited to play the Kiwis in their own backyard, adding that New Zealand is a great place to play cricket.
On the washout on Friday, the stand-in skipper said it was unfortunate that rain forced the match to be called off.
“The boys were quite excited to play. New Zealand is a great country, a great place to play cricket. Unfortunately, we could not get a game today. A lot of fans came to the ground quite early and we were excited about the match. However, this is something that we, as professional cricketers, need to accept,” the star all-rounder added.
The 29-year-old said that he is not carrying any emotional baggage from India’s heartbreaking the T20 World Cup semifinal loss.
“The World Cup is done, I’ve left it behind. The disappointment will be there, but we can’t go back and change things. We’re now looking forward to this series,” Pandya said.
With the first match called off, both teams now move on to their next T20I fixture at Mount Maunganui on Sunday. (ANI)