Gautam Gambhir, MSK Prasad get enmeshed in war of words over selection procedure

Irfan Pathan, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, have been quite vociferous about the need of more suitable communication from the selection committee. The cricketers have focused attention on the need of dealing with senior players in a better way.

On Thursday, while talking about the matter, former Indian cricketer turned politician Gautam Gambhir, Krishnamachari Srikanth and former selector MSK Prasad were embroiled in a discussion, in which sentiments, some times, pwned the former players.

Gautam Gambhir told that the time has come for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to make a mandatory for the skipper and coach to have a say in the selection process.

“The time has come when captain needs to be selectors as well. The captain and coach should be selectors. The selectors should have no say in the playing XI. The playing XI has to be captain’s responsibility. But at the same time the captain and the coach should be given the voting power because they cannot shrug off the responsibility of the selected team” Gambhir said.

Former chief selector MSK Prasad said that the skipper has always been called upon in the selection process but as per the law of Indian cricket, he does not get to vote.

“Captain has always had a say in selection process. There is no two ways about it. He does not have a vote, according to our bylaws,” said MSK Prasad.

Gautam Gambhir also lashed out at MSK Prasad led selection committee for not looking for solution to India’s No.4 spot, which according to Gaambhir cost the World Cup last year.

“Like it was with Vijay Shankar or whoever got picked in the World Cup. Some of the decisions were absolutely shocking. Probably not picking Ambati Rayudu in the World Cup. They couldn’t find the no. 4. One position they had to identify and they could not do that. Look at what happened to Ambati Rayudu - you picked him for two years. Two years, he batted at no. 4. And just before the World Cup, you needed a 3-D? Is that the kind of statement you want to see from a chairman selector that we need a 3-D cricketer?” Gambhir added.

To this MSK Prasad replied “Let me clarify, at the top, everyone was a batsman - Shikhar, Rohit, Virat. There was nobody who could bowl. And someone like Vijay Shankar, who bats at the top order, could be helpful with the ball in the English conditions.”

India selected Vijay Shankar as their classified No.4 for the quadrennial event last year because of his skills to bowl. MSK Prasad had then termed him a 3-D player, which didn’t go well with Rayudu.

“Not supporting Gautam or belittling you MSK but there is a huge difference between international cricket and domestic cricket,” said Srikanth, who himself was the chairman of selectors till 2013.

“I agree with Chika that there is a difference but you also have to understand that experience cannot be the only parameter all the time. You may miss out on players in the process,” said Prasad, who has been replaced by Sunil Joshi as the new chairman of selectors.

“Your chairman of selectors needs to be an experienced cricketer, who has played enough international cricket, who has seen the ups and downs of international cricket. The more you play, the better you understand players. Chika has played a lot of international cricket, he has captained India, he knows what a player goes through. When I got selected there was someone else as the chairman, when I got dropped there was someone else as the chairman. Then you came in, I could fight with you, I could walk up to you and discuss things, so that is the relationship you want between players and selectors,” Gambhir added.

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