SELECTION MATTERS

Pant, Agarwal World Cup call-ups as per team management's requests: MSK Prasad

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

Wicketkeeper-bat Pant had been called up as replacement for injured opener Dhawan. © Getty

The 2019 World Cup for India was as much about performance as it was about selection. It started right away with the announcement of the preliminary 15-man squad, which saw Ambati Rayudu left out in the cold after an extended audition as a No. 4 batsman. Then there were bizarre injury call-ups during the course of the tournament, with Rishabh Pant replacing Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal roped in for Vijay Shankar.

The call-ups made little sense at the time. Pant is a middle-order batsman who replaced an injured opening batsman, while Mayank Agarwal, an opening batsman who's still uncapped in the ODIs got a call-up to replace an all-rounder. India's chief selector MSK Prasad has finally explained the rationale behind these selections, highlighting how it was in accordance with the team management's requests.

"When Shikhar Dhawan got injured, we had a third opener in KL Rahul. At that juncture, after those two-three matches, we didn't have a left-hander at the top. Since KL Rahul was going to open, the team management requested for a left-hander and we had no choice other than Pant," Prasad said. "We were very clear about that. We know what he is capable of. That's the reason why we had to bring in a left-hander, which actually confused many people thinking why a middle-order batsman has been picked for an opener.

"When Vijay Shankar was injured, again a middle-order player was injured, and an opener was brought in. In a game against England, when KL Rahul was trying for a catch, he had a big fall on the boundary line and he didn't field for the rest of the innings. There was a medical emergency at that stage whether he will be continuing or not. There was so much of a worry factor. At that juncture, a written communication was given to us that we need a back-up opener.

"We looked at some of the openers. Some were not in form, the others were injured. That is why we went for Mayank Agarwal. So that is very clear, no confusion on this. I'm sure by the end of the day all these speculations will be clear."

Prasad also addressed the complicated Ambati Rayudu issue. The middle-order batsman was left out of the squad in favour of Vijay Shankar, who went into the World Cup as India's first-choice No. 4 batsman but hardly set the stage on fire, and returned home early due to a toe injury. Rayudu didn't get a call-up despite injuries in the squad and decided to retire from international cricket.

"When we pick any player and he does well, we feel so happy for him. Similarly, when someone, out of emotions, goes out in this way, selection committee members also feel for it," Prasad said of Rayudu. "But, having said that, with regard to the decision that was taken, it was devoid of any bias or any favouritism. From the beginning, I have been telling why we have picked Vijay Shankar, why we have picked Rishabh Pant or Mayank Agarwal. Somewhere, it is definitely related to Rayudu's case also. There's no second thought, there's nothing against that.

"I will give you a small example on Rayudu. When Rayudu was picked on the basis of the 2017-18 T20 performance, we picked him in the one-day side, there was a lot of criticism but we had some thoughts about him. Subsequently, when he failed a fitness test, this selection committee backed him and we put him through a fitness programme for a month, and we ensured that he comes back fit and comes into the side. Once he came into the side we backed him, but due to certain permutations and combinations of the side, we couldn't pick him. That doesn't make this selection committee or me, in person, biased.

"I hope you will understand that there was a certain programme that was set to see that Rayudu should come into the side. There's nothing that we did against any particular person. So how much Rayudu is emotional, we are also emotional. We as ex-cricketers also feel for him. That's it, that's what I can say."

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