Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth recently disputed with Gautam Gambhir’s assessment that the 2019 World Cup selection committee, chaired by MSK Prasad, was the worst in Indian cricket history. Such doubts, said to Sreesanth, would not have been posed if India had won the ICC tournament.
Gambhir recently launched a stinging attack on the selection committee chaired by Prasad, who chose the roster for the 2019 World Cup in England. He was particularly critical of the selectors’ choice not to select Ambati Rayudu in the 15th round, despite the fact that the team’s major priority was the No. 4 batter.
Sreesanth told Sportskeeda that the greatest potential roster for the 2019 World Cup was picked.
“Everyone has different thoughts,” Sreesanth said. “According to me, India’s 2019 World Cup squad was brilliant. The best players featured in the XI and the best 15 were selected. I know ifs and buts don’t matter, but what if Dhoni would not have got run out and we had won the World Cup?
“In my opinion, the 2019 World Cup squad was India’s best team at that point. All the players who featured in that tournament deserved to be there.”
“Similarly, the team that played in the 2015 World Cup was also the best team then. The best players who performed in tournaments from 2011 to 2015 were selected,” the former cricketer added.
S Sreesanth
India had a great World Cup run until the semi-final against New Zealand, when their batting faltered and they lost by 18 runs.
“I don’t think India missed Rayudu” – Sreesanth
While Rayudu’s exclusion from the 2019 World Cup roster sparked outrage, Sreesanth believes the former’s absence didn’t make a significant impact. He also felt that the batter had been given enough opportunities to make his claim prior to the major competition.
“I don’t think India missed Rayudu. He got opportunities for his performance. T20 and 50-over cricket is very different. You can get selected in one-dayers on the basis of your performance in T20s. You need to look at the first-class record of the player and record while playing for India. When you consistently perform in first-class, that’s when you will get your chances,” the 40-year-old commented.
“It’s difficult, rather impossible, to play the ODI World Cup for India on the basis of only IPL performances,” Sreesanth concluded.
S Sreesanth
Ambati Rayudu appeared in 55 One-Day Internationals for India, amassing 1694 runs at an average of 47.05, with three hundreds and ten fifties.