“The main goal for everybody is the same: to keep India on top. We don’t want controversies”
Chetan Sharma: “We told Virat the World Cup is upon us, and everybody requested let’s talk after the World Cup”
“When the meeting started, it was a surprise for everybody,” Chetan said. “Because the World Cup is upon you and you hear this news, what will be the reaction of a normal person? Everyone who was present in the meeting asked him to reconsider, to rethink; ‘we can talk about this after the World Cup’. All the selectors felt this could affect the performance in the World Cup. It was told to Virat for the sake of Indian cricket to please continue as captain.
“It was told to him by everybody available in the meeting. All convenors were there, board officials were there. Everybody said that. Who will not say that when you hear such a news? You will be in shock. What will be your instant reaction? It was a matter of the World Cup. We thought let’s talk after the World Cup. We told Virat the World Cup is upon us, and everybody requested let’s talk after the World Cup.
“But he has his plans. We have to respect his decision. If someone has taken a decision, and he said in the media also, that he was thinking [along these lines] from the time of WTC, but at that time everybody told him to think about it.”
“The main goal for everybody is the same: to keep India on top. We don’t want controversies,” Chetan said. “That is the reason we don’t come out. Our job is to select the team, make sure the best guy goes and plays for the country. When these controversies happen, it makes us sad as cricketers.
“I was joking that Ajaz [Patel] has been dropped by New Zealand after taking ten wickets. Imagine if we had done something similar, what would have happened to us.”
More to follow…
Source: ESPN Crickinfo