“When I wasn’t picked in 2011, it was such a heartbreaking moment for me” Rohit Sharma Opens up about WC Squad selection
The Indian team is engaged in a regress training camp in Alur before leaving for the Asia Cup the men in blue are most likely to leave for Sri Lanka on August 30 where they will play two of their group stage matches against Pakistan and Nepal.
Asia Cup will be followed by World Cup which is returning to India after 12 years. Having won the World Cup the last time when it was played in the Indian subcontinent Indian captain Rohit Sharma is aware of the pressure that comes with playing a World Cup in India more so if the World Cup is to be staged in a cricket-crazy country like India.
Rohit who wasn’t a part of the Indian team that won the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup said that he is not worried about all the external noise and pressure and wants to be relaxed.
Rohit Sharma Taking it Easy in Asia Cup
“For me, it is important how I keep myself relaxed and not worry about external factors that play a role, whether positively or not negatively. I want to shut out everything,” Rohit told PTI in an exclusive interview just before joining the Asia Cup camp in Bengaluru. “I want to get into the phase I was in before the 2019 World Cup,” he added.
There also have been talks about favoritism creeping into the team’s selection for the Asia Cup with Tilak Verma getting a chance having not played a single ODI game till now. Speaking on team selection Rohit said, “While picking the best combination, there will be guys who will miss out for various reasons, and Rahul bhai (Dravid) and I have tried our best to explain to the players why they are not in the squad… “We have tried to communicate with the players after every selection and playing XI that has been announced. We talk to them face to face, one-on-one why they have not been picked,” he said.
Accepting Mistakes
“Sometimes, I try and put myself in their shoes. When I wasn’t picked in 2011, it was such a heartbreaking moment for me and I felt what’s left after being dropped from a World Cup squad.”
Rohit also said that there is no shame in accepting when a decision taken by the team management goes wrong “Me, coaches, and selectors, take into account all factors like opposition, surfaces, our strengths, their weaknesses, and then reach a common ground. There is every chance that we will not be perfect always.
