Performance should be the main criteria for the selection of any player, not only MS Dhoni says Kiran More

There was a lot of dilemma surrounding the selection of some of the senior Indian cricketers ahead of the ODI series against Sri Lanka. While former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni successfully made it to the squad, let handed power hitter Yuvraj Singh faced the axe. Following the announcement of the squad, chief selector MSK Prasad addressed the media as he put light on the selection process.

MSK Prasad made it clear that MS Dhoni is no longer an ‘automatic choice’ for the Indian team and his performance at the island nation will be under the scanner. According to Prasad, the legendary batsman will have to perform in order to maintain his berth in the team. However, this particular comment from the selector has earned mixed reactions from cricket fans in the country.

Along with Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina was also ignored for the upcoming ODI series and the solitary T20 game against the Lions. There were several reasons that came up for the omission of these senior cricketers, especially Yuvraj Singh. While some blamed Yuvraj Singh for his struggling form, the others claimed that it was the failure of the yo-yo test that led to the omission of these two cricketers. As far as MSK Prasad in concerned, he claimed that Yuvraj Singh was rested and not dropped. The selection panel wants to give a chance to the promising youngsters in the next 4-5 months to groom them up for the 2019 ICC World Cup.

Former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More had his say on the Mahendra Singh Dhoni saga. He stood by Prasad and said that Prasad should not be blamed because he is just doing his job and this was a collective decision. More also made it crystal clear that not only Dhoni but every player should be judged on the basis of their performance before selecting them for the team.

What More said:

“I don’t blame the fans but Prasad is doing his job. Such decisions are not taken by Prasad alone. Big decisions are taken collectively,” said Kiran More told Mid-Day who was a member of the Indian selection panel once upon a time.

“Performance should be the only criteria to decide who makes the cut or not. And it is not just about Dhoni alone. Any player whose performance is below par will be under pressure,” added More.

“Experience plays an important part in all major success. Look at all World Cup winning teams and you will see that it is a fine amalgamation of youth and experience. You need the energy and exuberance from the youth, but you can’t discount experience either. Someone like Ashish Nehra walked into the Indian World T20 team when he was 39 and showed what he is capable of. I don’t think he was in terrific form and one can’t call him the fittest bloke around either. So Dhoni should be left alone. Even if his performance lacks anything, he can be an asset to the team just because of his vast experience which India will need at a big event like the World Cup,” More concluded.