Gautam Gambhir and MSK Prasad engage in a debate over Ambati Rayudu's exclusion from 2019 World Cup squad

Many Team India veterans had recently pointed out the fault in the communication process between selectors and players. From Yuvraj Singh to Suresh Raina, many former and out of favour cricketers had voiced out their opinion regarding the lack of communication between selectors and senior players. They even had suggested that selectors should convey messages to senior players in a better way if possible.

Discussing over the aforementioned issue, Gautam Gambhir, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, and former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad were involved in a debate.

Gambhir dished out his opinion that the skipper should also be involved in the selection process and he should be appointed as a selector as well. Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, while responding to Gambhir’s suggestion, said that a captain always has a say in the selection process. However, a captain does not have a vote in the selection procedure, according to Prasad.

“The time has come for the captain to be a selector as well. The captain and coach should be made the selectors, and the selectors should have no say in the playing XI. The captain and coach can’t shrug off the responsibility of the selected team,” Gambhir said on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.

“A captain always has a say in the selection process. There are no two ways about it. He may not have a vote. Our bylaws clearly state that the captain has a say but he doesn’t have a vote in the selection process,” said MSK Prasad while responding to Gambhir’s suggestion.

Gambhir continued the debate by bringing in the ‘Ambati Rayudu fiasco’ which hogged the limelight during 2019 World Cup. Rayudu, after being ignored from the World Cup squad in favour of Vijay Shankar, had taken a dig at MSK Prasad-led committee with his famous ‘3D’ tweet.

Vijay Shankar could’ve been helpful with the ball in England: MSK Prasad

“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.

“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,” said Prasad while defending his selection.

K Srikkanth also dived into the discussion and pointed out that there is a huge difference between international cricket and domestic cricket.

“Not supporting Gautam or belittling you MSK but there is a huge difference between international cricket and domestic cricket,” Srikkanth splurged his two cents in the debate.

“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 thereafter.