Former India selector MSK Prasad has rubbished the allegations. Ambati Rayudu Who recently said that he was not selected in the World Cup 2019 squad as he had a problem with one of the members of the selection committee. He was apparently taking a jibe at the then chief national selector MSK Prasad, under whom he played for Andhra in 2005-06.
Prasad has now spoken openly on the matter that there is no room for personal favoritism while picking the Indian team for the World Cup. He also said that it is impossible for a selector to take decisions with five others including a captain in the room.
“Personal favoritism cannot in any way come in the way of the selection of the national team. The perceived or perceived bias of one selector cannot affect the outcome of the selection as will five others in the selection meeting. Each selection or non-selection is a It’s a collective decision,” Prasad said while speaking to Cricbuzz.
The other members in the selection committee then were Devang Gandhi, Gagan Khoda, Sarandeep Singh and Jatin Paranjpe. Prasad, however, did not reveal what exactly was discussed in the meeting, saying it would be unethical for him to do so.
As far as Rayudu is concerned, in a recent interview to a Telugu TV channel, he said that he would have had no problem if the selectors had picked a similar batsman in his place. But the fact that they went for an all-rounder like Vijay Shankar Batting at number four irritated him.
“The team needed a No.4 batsman. By meeting that requirement and going for an all-rounder instead, they missed the main point. If they had taken Rahane (Ajinkya) or any other experienced batsman, it would have Makes sense. The No.4 batsman is needed to cover one end and score runs depending on the situation,” Rayudu had said.