Former chief selector and 1983 ODI World Cup winner Sandeep Patil has revealed that legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh,Gautam Gambhir, and Zaheer Khan ‘know the reasons'. Patil was the head of the selection committee from 2012 to 2016 that saw the transitional phase.

Huge Transition in Indian Cricket

Speaking on 'The Great Indian Cricket Show' on Doordarshan, Patil said that the country's interest came first. He said one could not let friendship with players affect selection. After India won the 2011 ODI World Cup, Patil's stint at the helm saw a massive overhaul. Veterans made way and fresh blood came in.

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Sandeep Patil's Honest Take

“First of all, I want to make it clear: I wasn't the only one making these decisions. There was a selection panel of five, and I was its chairman. Whatever decisions we made, we made with the future of Indian cricket in mind. It feels very bad to bring this up today, but legends as great as Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, and Zaheer Khan had to leave the team or retire. They know the reasons," he said.

“Our job as selectors was to put the interests of the country, the BCCI, and Indian cricket first. You can be friends with players, but there has to be a line. You can't say, ‘He is my friend, so I will pick him for the team.' When you are given this responsibility, you have to take it seriously," he added.

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“You are not thinking about your own cricket; you are thinking about India's cricket and its future. You sometimes have to make decisions you are not happy with, but you make them for the good of the Indian team,” he went on to say.

How Did Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir's Careers End?

Yuvraj and Gambhir were part of the 2011 ODI World Cup campaign that ended a 28-year-old drought. They also helped India win the 2007 T20 World Cup. Yuvraj last played for India in 2017 and finally retired in 2019. Gambhir's final international appearance was in 2016 and in 2018 he called time on his career.