“If an individual can take a decision then you don't require 5 selectors” - MSK Prasad counters Ambati Rayudu’s bias claims 

Former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad has responded to Ambati Rayudu's claims that there was bias in the 2019 ODI World Cup team selection. While Rayudu hinted that his ‘issues’ with Prasad might have played a part in his ax, Prasad stated that the 2019 World Cup squad was selected ‘based on the collective judgment of everyone involved in the selection committee’.

Rayudu, who recently announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, opened up on his shocking 2019 World Cup snub in an interview with TV9 News Telugu. While the right-handed batter was dropped from the squad for the ICC event, all-rounder Vijay Shankar got the nod.

In an interview with timesnownews.com, Prasad countered Rayudu’s claims of bias in selection and commented:

"All of us know that the selection committee has got five selectors and the captain sitting in the selection committee. Will any single person's decision be taken or is it a consensus or is it a entire collective decision that would be taken? If an individual can take a decision then you don't require five selectors.

“So any decision that is taken only happens with the consensus of the entire selection committee. So it is a collective decision. Not an individual decision. I may propose something but somebody else has to accept it. No individual decision will prevail in a committee," the former-keeper batter added.

Rayudu’s non-selection for the 2019 World Cup remains one of the debatable topics in Indian cricket to date.

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“He might not have liked my style of captaincy” - Prasad on 'differences' with Rayudu

During the interview, Rayudu also said that he did not enjoy his time playing under Prasad as captain in domestic cricket. Responding to the same, the former selector said that there were no differences between the two as stated.

The 48-year-old elaborated:

"In fact, I will tell you the truth. Nothing happened in 2005. There are absolutely no differences. See, he says that he might not have liked my style of captaincy. Which is fair no. You can definitely have a difference of opinion. You know that I am strict with everything. I am strict in regiments, strict in fitness, and strict in everything. Probably he might not have liked my routine or something but that is fine.

"In a team, a small difference can happen during a long cricketing season. There can be a difference of opinion between brothers also. But that cannot be the reason to carry such small differences here and there to such a big platform like Indian cricket team’s selection.

“Rayudu got selected for Indian Team for all the previous international games prior to the World Cup. When one doesn’t have differences for those matches then how come any difference will come for World Cup selections?” he added.

Rayudu, 37, ended his international career with 55 ODIs and six T20Is, scoring 1694 and 42 runs, respectively.