Cricket News

MSK Prasad gives hard rebuttal to Ambati Rayudu’s 2019 World Cup comments that he made after his retirement

After Ambati Rayudu’s outburst over his ouster in the 2019 World Cup that he talked about after retiring from all forms of the game, MSK Prasad, the chief selector at that time, refuted his claims in an interview. Ambati Rayudu, who was once touted to be the number four for India ahead of the 2019 World Cup, was not picked and was replaced by Vijay Shankar. After Prasad called Shakar a three-dimensional player in 2019, Rayudu had taken a jibe at him with his viral 3D Glasses tweet.

“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 an 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.” Prasad said to Times Now in an interview.

The selection process for the squad was based on collective decision -MSK Prasad

Rayudu also talked about the animosity that he believed existed between him and Prasad during his playing days at Andhra. Throwing further light on it, Prasad said that Rayudu did not believe in some of Prasad’s methods but he said there was no indication of bias when he was not selected in the 2019 World Cup squad which went to England. India lost to New Zealand in the semi-finals of the tournament.

“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? I want to clear the air that the selection process is a complete collective decision but it will never be an individual opinion or decision,” Prasad added.