Former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad has opened up on Ambati Rayudu’s claims that there was bias in the 2019 World Cup team selection as well. His comments came as Rayudu gave the hint that his ‘issues’ with MSK Prasad might have played a part in his non-selection, Prasad added that the 2019 World Cup squad was selected ‘based on the collective judgment of everyone involved in the selection committee’.
Rayudu, who recently announced his retirement from all formats of Indian cricket, commented on his shocking 2019 World Cup snub in an interview with TV9 News Telugu. While he was dropped from the squad for the ICC event, all-rounder Vijay Shankar got the chance. In an interview with timesnownews.com, Prasad countered Ambati Rayudu’s claims of bias in selection and said:
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“All of us know that the selection committee has got five selectors and the captain sitting in the selection committee. Will any single person’s decision be taken or is it a consensus or is it a entire collective decision that would be taken? If an individual can take a decision then you don’t require five selectors. So any decision that is taken only happens with the consensus of the entire selection committee. So it is a collective decision. Not an individual decision. I may propose something but somebody else has to accept it. No individual decision will prevail in a committee.”
During the interview, Ambati Rayudu also said that he did not enjoy his time playing under Prasad as captain in domestic cricket as well. Responding to the same, the former selector also said that there were no differences between the two as mentioned. The veteran again stated:
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“In fact, I will tell you the truth. Nothing happened in 2005. There are absolutely no differences. See, he says that he might not have liked my style of captaincy. Which is fair no. You can definitely have a difference of opinion. You know that I am strict with everything. I am strict in regiments, strict in fitness, and strict in everything. Probably he might not have liked my routine or something but that is fine. In a team, a small difference can happen during a long cricketing season. There can be a difference of opinion between brothers also. But that cannot be the reason to carry such small differences here and there to such a big platform like Indian cricket team’s selection. Rayudu got selected for Indian Team for all the previous international games prior to the World Cup. When one doesn’t have differences for those matches then how come any difference will come for World Cup selections?” he added.
