We have good bench strength now: Prasad

K.L. Rahul will be fit and fine to play in another three or four days, according to the report we received from the physio.

November 30, 2016 07:47 pm | Updated December 03, 2016 04:05 pm IST - CHENNAI:

M.S.K. Prasad.

M.S.K. Prasad.

M.S.K. Prasad, chairman of the BCCI senior team selection committee, is here in Chennai to watch the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Vidarbha. The Hindu caught up with him on Tuesday.

On the committee’s prime focus areas

Our primary focus is to develop bench strength. If you look at the one-day series versus New Zealand, we actually played with the second XI, and the way the team performed was phenomenal. That shows we have good bench strength now.

And, I’m sure, by the end of our term, say three years from now, we will have ensured a bench strength capable of six or seven-year sustenance. There’s focus on identifying spinners too. We’ve got an adequate group of pacemen who will last for at least the next two years. We’ve identified a few spinners. We’ll back them. Jayant Yadav, for instance.

On Ashwin’s all-round skills

Ashwin times the ball really well and I wouldn’t be surprised if people mistake him for V.V.S. Laxman. He’s not just a bowler any more. He’s also a dependable batsman. You can see that Kohli’s relaxed when Ashwin bats. We believe that the stability he brings to batting will rub on players like Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant. Ashwin is one person who doesn’t keep his knowledge just to himself. I’ve noticed that he has worked a lot with Jayant Yadav in the last couple of years.

On Ajinkya Rahane’s dip in form

I’m not worried about Rahane. A few innings not so good, now and then, happens with any player. He’s a good fielder too. He’s an asset to the team.

On Parthiv Patel getting the nod for the third Test

He has done well for the past couple of years both in terms of batting and wicketkeeping. His glovework is better than before. I wouldn’t say that he’s better than Saha. Saha is still the No. 1 wicketkeeper for India. We also have Naman Ojha and Dinesh Karthik, but Parthiv’s a wholesome package. Also, it helped that he’s a left-hander. We thought, being a left-hander, he can handle Adil Rashid and Zafar Ansari better. He can bat at any position too.

On Rishabh Pant getting discussed

We believe that everybody has to come through the system. We need to identify players for different formats. If someone is fit for one-dayers, maybe, from that format, he can improve and come into the Test side. Someone stable may come into the Test side, and groom himself to become a one-day player. We don’t want to label anyone. But, we believe that we should know a player’s strengths and groom him accordingly. Rishabh Pant is a good attacking bat. But, it’s premature to talk about him now.

On K.L. Rahul’s injury

K.L. Rahul will be fit and fine to play in another three or four days, according to the report we received from the physio. The selection committee is open to considering options for the final two Tests.

The players he’s keeping an eye on, in the Ranji Trophy match in Chennai

Rishabh Pant, Akshay Wakhare, Shikhar Dhawan, and Gautam Gambhir

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