Former chief selector Syed Kirmani has said the M S K Prasad-led selection panel is not experienced enough to challenge the decisions of head coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli. The ex-India wicketkeeper’s comments come in the wake of the controversy over the exclusion of Karun Nair and Murali Vijay from the Test squad. Both Nair and Vijay claimed that they they were not spoken to by the selectors before or after being dropped, a claim that Prasad has dismissed by stating that both the batsmen were duly informed.
The current selection committee, with due respect, is inexperienced to Shastri and Kohli. And they better listen to what the team management wants because they cannot debate with Shastri and Kohli, who have much more experience, Kirmani said. Note that chief selector Prasad played six Tests and 17 ODIs. The other four – Sarandeep Singh (2 Tests, 5 ODIs), Dewang Gandhi (4 Tests, 3 ODIs), Jatin Paranjpe (4 ODIs) and Gagan Khoda (2 ODIs), too, do not have enough experience.
In the line of fire with regard to ‘communication policy’, Prasad said his panel and the Indian team management are on the same page. “Team management and selection committee are always on the same page. We are very, very clear on our selection policy and I stand by that,” Prasad had said. Whatever, with a crucial Australian tour coming up, it is time the selectors sat together and picked the right combination. Hope the horror in England is not repeated.