Suresh Raina might be livid with the national selection panel for ignoring him constantly, but former chief selector MSK Prasad on Tuesday (May 5) made it clear that the southpaw has only himself to blame as he had a disappointing 2018-19 domestic season.
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Raina, who has featured in 226 ODIs and 78 T20Is apart from 18 Tests, last played for India in July 2018. The 33-year-old had a knee surgery in Netherlands and was targetting IPL to reclaim his place in the national side. But he failed to do so after making 383 runs from 17 innings in IPL 2019 for Chennai Super Kings.
"See VVS Laxman, when he was dropped from the Indian Test squad in 1999, he forced himself back by scoring over 1400 runs in domestic cricket. This is what is expected from senior players when they are dropped," Prasad told PTI, expressing surprise at Raina's recent comments that selectors should have taken "more responsibility" as far as senior players were concerned.
In five Ranji games during the 2018-19 season, Raina amassed 243 runs with two fifties.
"Unfortunately, we didn't see that form here in Raina's case in domestic cricket while other youngsters emerged at the big stage with their brilliant performances in domestic cricket and India A," the ex-chairman of selectors added.
Recently, Raina had alleged that the selectors didn’t clarify to him the reason behind his exclusion. But Prasad rubbished his claim.
"I had personally spoken to Raina calling him to my room and explained him the roadmap for his future comebacks. He had, back then, appreciated my efforts. I am really surprised when I have heard things which are exactly contrary to what had happened," MSK Prasad said.
In fact, he gave a lowdown of how many of Uttar Pradesh's Ranji matches he has seen.
"I gave postings to my selectors looking at those matches where the consistent players, fringe players, probables or comeback players are playing.
"Personally, I watched four UP games in Lucknow and Kanpur in the last four years apart from the other many UP matches my colleagues have seen.
"I take pride in saying that our selection committee has watched more than 200 Ranji matches in the last four years."
(With PTI inputs)
