“Once they get that IPL contract, everything falls out” - Ex-Australia spinner’s scathing attack on Indian pacer ahead of IND vs ENG 2025 series

Ex-Aussie spinner Brad Hogg has questioned India pace sensation Mayank Yadav's credentials in Tests following the five-game 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The 53-year-old pointed how youngsters like Mayank (or Umran Malik) only think about securing an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract and stop working (improving) on their game, especially when it comes to playing Tests or first-class cricket.

The remarks came as Mayank sustained another injury ahead of the T20I series against England later this month. The 22-year-old, who made a name for himself by clocking 150 kmph-plus in IPL 2024, was retained by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 11 crore.

Hogg said on his YouTube channel (39:25):

"He's [Mayank Yadav] is injury-prone because he’s young. I’m looking at his first-class stat, he’s only played one FC game. So, he hasn’t played too much of the longer format as well. I think it’s just sheer pace with Mayank Yadav. There are a couple of other bowlers that are very similar to him that bowl 145-150-plus but I think with young Indian bowlers coming through they bowl that pace. Sometimes, they are thinking right, just bowl sheer pace, if I can get an IPL contract, I’m happy. The end."

"Once they get that IPL contract, everything falls out of the window. They don’t learn how to play the longer form of the game. They don’t know how to bowl within themselves, they don’t have that endurance factor. They haven’t been trained for that endurance factor," he added.

"Mayank Yadav is more of a 20-20 bowler" - Brad Hogg's no-nonsense take on India pace sensation

Brad Hogg further concluded that Mayank Yadav is a T20 player. He reiterated that the youngster doesn't have the game plan to deliver in the longer versions of the game, particularly in Tests for India.

The cricketer-turned-commentator said in the same interaction (40:37):

"They are not trying for skills to be able to bowl within themselves like I was saying about Harshit Rana, the other moves the bowl both ways to keep that body to not wear that body out quickly. So, bowl within yourself, and then when you’ve got sheer the pace and the game needs you to go up an extra gear, You can really take that game on. So, I think Mayank Yadav is more of a 20-20 bowler, I don’t think he’s got the game plan to work batsman out in the longer format of the game."

Brad Hogg added that India should look forward to Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna among viable options in Tests. He said (41:06):

"So, I think they have to look at Harshit Rana and Krishna as your options moving forward. I don’t think Mayank Yadav you seen playing too much Test cricket."

Rana bagged four wickets in the first Test in Australia but returned wicketless in the second. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna scalped six wickets in the fifth Test in Sydney.