'Mahi will take a decision for himself' - MSK Prasad opens up on MS Dhoni's retirement speculations

MSK Prasad’s journey– as a player and as the chairman of BCCI selection committee– has been a topsy-turvy one. Prasad failed to grab headlines in his short-lived career spanning over six Test and 17 ODIs between 1999 and 2000. The 44-year-old certainly took a few substantial decisions during his stint with the selection committee– be it Vijay Shankar’s inclusion in the World Cup 2019 squad or giving chances to prospects like Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw.

Prasad’s reign as the chairman of the selection committee also witnessed the fading of MS Dhoni from the international scene. Dhoni’s absence has been the talk of the town since his departure after India’s heartbreaking defeat from the semi-final of World Cup 2019 against New Zealand.

Prasad had also stated earlier that the selection panel was aiming to back Rishabh Pant after the World Cup in order to help him flourish at the international level. However, Pant so far has failed to live up to the expectations due to his inconsistent performances.

“I am a big fan of MS Dhoni”: MSK Prasad

As Prasad’s tenure as BCCI’s chairman of the selection panel is nearing its culmination, the 44-year-old has opened up about his views regarding MS Dhoni’s absence from the game for more than six months now. According to Prasad, the selection panel’s focus right now is to back the youngsters to that they can get ample opportunities to prove their worth. He also admitted that he himself is a big fan of MS Dhoni and the former Indian skipper will take a decision for himself.

As far as we are concerned, we are backing youngsters and giving them as many opportunities to settle well and play long. Mahi will take a decision for himself. As a panel member, if I keep professional duty aside, I am as big a fan of Dhoni as anyone else,” said Prasad in an interview with Sportstar.

Prasad stressed on the fact that his duty as a selector is to move on and identify new prospects who can bolster the Indian side in the near future. He also lauded Dhoni for what he has achieved in his illustrious career. The Rachi-born wicketkeeper-batsman will go down in history as one of the most successful captains that India has ever produced.

“He has achieved everything under the sun winning two World Cups, the Champions Trophy, the No. 1 Status in Tests. Nobody can question that. About his career, he will take a call. As selectors, our duty is to move on and identify the next generation of players and keep giving them chances,” added Prasad.

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