Heartbreaking that Karun Nair did not get a second run in Test team, says MSK Prasad
Former Chief Selector MSK Prasad has opened up on the non-selection of Triple-Centurion Karun Nair and has stated that its heartbreaking for the Karnataka man to have not gotten a second run in the Test side. Post his triple ton, Nair batted in just four more innings for the country.
On December 16, 2016, Karun Nair, who was making inroads on the domestic circuit representing Karnataka, became only the second Indian to score a triple-century when he smashed a listless English attack in front of a packed MA Chidambaram stadium. With Ajinkya Rahane encountering a dip in form and with the side failing to find an able No.6 batsman, Nair was expected to don the whites for a long time to come and was being talked up as the next big thing in Indian cricket.
However, scores of 26, 0, 23 and 5 in his next four knocks against a strong Australian attack meant that the right-hander played just three more Tests for the country before being dropped from the side, only to never return again. MSK Prasad, the man who was behind the non-selection of Nair, has now described the batsman's hiatus from the side as ‘heartbreaking’.
"Specially after getting the triple hundred. we couldn't give him comeback opportunity. We did give him in England series but he didn't get a match to play. It happens very rarely that someone hits a triple hundred in international cricket and and we couldn't give him a comeback opportunity, it's really heartbreaking, not only for him but all of us," MSK Prasad told Fancode, reported India Today.
Prasad, whose tenure with the Indian team ended post the side’s rather unsuccessful tour of New Zealand, was also the man behind the controversial omission of Ambati Rayudu from the World Cup squad. After being labelled as the side’s go-to No.4 batsman, Rayudu was shockingly left out of the 15-man squad for the World Cup by Prasad & Co. and reflecting on the decision, the former Chief Selector said that he feels bad for Rayudu, who was pipped to selection by all-rounder Vijay Shankar.
"Second thing is, I also feel bad for Ambati Rayudu, he was in thick and thin of things till the last second of the World Cup and on that day of the selections, he was missed out, there’s no doubt that it’s not only he who felt bad for it, I am sure all of selection committee, all of the members also feel bad for that.”
The selection committee headed by Prasad was also the mastermind behind the selection of spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav and the 45-year-old reminded how it was a tough decision to make, given both Ashwin and Jadeja were at the peak of their powers in red-ball cricket.
"It was a wonderful move that has paid rich dividends for us the last couple of years but let's not forget that Ashwin and Jadeja were number 1 and number 2 ranked Test players when they were left out of the ODI side.”
0
0
0
0
0
0
Comments
Sign up or log in to your account to leave comments and reactions
0 Comments