India’s chief selector Chetan Sharma finally broke his silence on the ugly controversy surrounding the ODI captaincy involving Test skipper Virat Kohli. For the unversed, Virat Kohli had dropped a bombshell as he refused the claims of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly regarding the captaincy shift by clarifying that he was not been spoken to previously about the change of captaincy.
On Friday, speaking at his first media interaction ever since the controversial press conferences of Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly, Chief Selector Chetan Sharma cleared the air on the decision-making process and his interaction with Kohli on the same.
Chetan Sharma said that there had been formal communication between Virat and him over the captaincy decision. He also made it clear that the BCCI and selectors had insisted that the selectors wanted one skipper for the white-ball format. He revealed:
“When the meeting started before World Cup, it was surprise for everyone. All present there told him have a rethink. All selectors felt that it will affect the World Cup. All conveners and board officials told Virat that for the sake of Indian cricket continue. Everyone was in a state of shock. After the World Cup we wanted to talk,”
“Everyone from selectors to (BCCI) office bearers, convenor of selection meeting and all present told Kohli to wait on T20 captaincy till World Cup got over.”
Sharma further said that Kohli is “a very important player” and that the Indian cricket team “revolves around him.” He added:
“We were in the middle of the World Cup when Virat announced that he would give up the T20s captaincy. But all board members asked him to reconsider. That was not the time to tell him that if you leave one format you will be made to give up another,”
“At that time when he announced to us everyone told him we can have a rethink, after the World Cup. Our goals is to make Indian team on the top. We don’t want controversies. Make sure that the best men play for country.”
Further, when asked about speculation about a rift between Virat and Rohit, Chetan Sharma responded by saying that the duo is working together as a family. He said:
“Don’t do speculations. I was a part of the media for 20 years. I laugh at speculations. They are working together as a family, team, unit.”
