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Mumbai, July 21
Ambati Rayudu’s sarcasm-laden ‘3D tweet’ might have hastened his international retirement but the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad defended the recently-retired Hyderabadi’s omission from the World Cup squad, asserting that his panel cannot be accused of bias.
Prasad explained that Mayank Agarwal was summoned as a replacement for injured Vijay Shankar instead of Rayudu because opener KL Rahul’s on-field injury during the England game had prompted the team management to seek an opener as “cover”.
However, Prasad’s logic of Agarwal’s inclusion was far from convincing as Rahul played three games (Bangaldesh, Sri Lanka and the semifinal) after that. After being ignored, Rayudu had posted a cryptic tweet, which was certainly directed at the selection committee, which had termed Shankar as a “three-dimensional player”. “Just ordered a new set of 3D glasses to watch the World Cup,” he tweeted and was widely believed to be the reason behind Rishabh Pant and Agarwal’s inclusion as replacements.
Rayudu announced his retirement from all forms of cricket just days after Agarwal’s selection. “It was a lovely tweet. Very timely one. I really enjoyed the tweet. It was fantastic. I don’t know how it struck him,” Prasad’s answer had everyone laughing when asked about Rayudu’s tweet.
However, he wanted to clear the air that Rayudu couldn’t be included purely because of the permutations and combinations and the selection committee didn’t resort to any favouritism.
When Agarwal came in, it was more about having a cover for Rahul. In fact, he revealed that it was team management which asked for an opener in writing. But the chairman empathised with Rayudu. “How much emotions anybody (Rayudu) has gone through, the selection committee has gone through the same emotions,” Prasad said. “When we pick any player and he does well, we feel so happy for him. Similarly when somebody who goes out in this way, the selection committee also feels for it,” the former stumper said. — PTI
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