2019 World Cup Squad Selection: Why Ravi Shastri's Comment has stirred a controversy

Former India coach Ravi Shastri’s statement has stirred controversy among a section of cricketers and selectors, some of whom, have voiced their opinion against his revelation.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has recently raised questions over the selection of the 2019 World Cup squad. Shastri, who retired as an Indian coach in 2021 after the T20 World Cup, has said that he had no say in the exclusion of batsman Ambati Rayudu from the squad.

He also went on to question the selection of three wicketkeeper-batsmen as he said that he saw little logic in the selection of MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik in the squad.

His statement has stirred controversy among a section of cricketers and selectors, some of whom, have voiced their opinion against Shastri’s revelation.

While some of them have raised their objections in the late revelation of this fact after two years of the event, some have said that the coach and captain don’t have a say in the selection of the team, however, the selection committee doesn’t go against the reservations of both of them.

According to reports, one of the former India selectors Sarandeep Singh have voiced his concern and said that the selection committee always takes the view of the coach and the captain and always try to be on the same page.

Singh had tried to convey that the selection committee decision was never forced on the team against the wish of the coach and the captain. He even went on to justify the exclusion of Ambati Rayudu and the inclusion of three wicketkeeper-batsmen MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik in the squad.