MSK Prasad speaks about Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and the selection process

MSK Prasad

When the new selection panel led by former Indian wicket-keeper batsman MSK Prasad was announced, there were many reservations around their expertise and their acumen while picking and deciding careers for players.

However, the Prasad-led panel has done a decent job so far, and what has helped them is that the players have done justice to their selection and have generally dished out good performances for the team. What has also worked for them is the fact that the team has been winning and the core of the team is settled.

Despite this, the team has been facing numerous injury concerns and the selection committee has always been kept on their toes by the fragile nature of the player's bodies.

In the current day and age of fast paced action and non-stop cricket, injuries have become part and parcel of the player and thus the onus once again falls back on the selectors as to how they manage and rotate players in order to keep them fresh and also to maintain the balance of the team.

One of the many bold calls made by the panel was to bring back in Gautam Gambhir in the Indian squad against New Zealand. While there is no denying the class of Gambhir, the fact that he was out for so long, this step was certainly an audacious step, primarily because he was on the wrong side of 30 and there many other younger players churning out runs for their respective domestic side.

Prasad revealed in an interview to Indian Express, that communication is the key whenever selection of any player is concerned. He revealed that the panel had to make a concerted effort to speak to senior players like Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan and make it very clear as to why they have been dropped.

"Of course performance is the foremost parameter. So if they have failed, they’ll know anyway. But if there are other reasons, say lack of fitness or slowing down on the field or their fielding doesn’t match up to the current standards, we tell them, instead of keeping them in the dark or keep them guessing," Prasad said.

Thus, when Gambhir was finally roped in, there had to be a proper reason stated. Communication is key both ways, that is if a player is being dropped or being brought back he has to be given due reasons.

"See if the selectors are coming and telling them that they are on the lookout for them, that is the biggest inspiration. It’s as good as scoring a big century, the satisfaction that you get, knowing that your runs and wickets are being acknowledged by the apex committee," Prasad further said.

The former wicket-keeper also spoke about out-of-favour Suresh Raina who was brought back into the Indian ODI squad but could not feature in the matches owing to fitness concerns.

"With someone like that, we tell him this is what is lacking and this is what we expect. Some things might be harsh but we need to put it in a constructive way tell him about his shortcomings and weaknesses. And they are all mature enough to understand," Prasad added.

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