Selectors criticised for serving coffee to Anushka Sharma but not given enough credit for team's good performances: MSK Prasad

After umpiring, if there is one job that is toughest to do in the game of cricket, that is surely the job of selectors. Often they are ones who get scrutinized for a various number of issues from a player being picked, to a player being dropped and to the player being given a longer rope in the team. The selectors have to bear the brunt of fans, cricketers, and experts for this and other various external factors.

Certainly being the selector of the Indian team is even harder as the game is followed by a billion people and is worshipped among the fans. Former chief selector MSK Prasad was in the hot seat from 2016 to 2020. During this period, India played two big ICC events such as the Champions Trophy 2017 and the 2019 World Cup followed by a series Down under in the 2018-19 season.

India performed well in the 2019 cricket World Cup, before succumbing to New Zealand in the semis. Naturally, the fans and former cricketers didn’t react to the news well and started targeting the players and selectors for their contentious choices during the global event.

MSK Prasad not happy by preferential treatment shown to the selectors

Prasad spoke in length on how one of the selectors was criticized for one such act during his tenure with the team, but not given enough credit on the team performing well and beating top teams like Australia and England. Former India cricketer Farokh Engineer labelled the selection committee as “Mickey Mouse selection committee” for serving coffee to Anushka Sharma during one of the games.

“When one of our selectors offers a cup of coffee to the Indian team’s captain’s wife, it becomes a big controversy, but when the Indian team with seven Indian superstars missing wins a Test series against Australia in Australia, not even once that credit was given to selectors,” Prasad told ESPNCricinfo’s Cricket Monthly.

Prasad concluded by saying that the selectors deserve to be given due credit for the thankless job that they do. He also felt that a small appreciation goes a long way in giving them confidence ahead of some important tours.

“The team management’s acknowledgment is the satisfaction. Those on the outside, whether they accept it or not, the inner circle knows what we have done,” Prasad added.