New Delhi: Former India chief selector Sandeep Patil revealed that iconic stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, and Zaheer Khan "know the reasons" behind their exit from the national side, stressing that his committee prioritised the long-term future of Indian cricket over personal bonds.

Patil, who featured in India’s historic 1983 World Cup-winning side, chaired the five-member selection panel during a crucial rebuilding phase between 2012 and 2016 following the 2011 ODI World Cup triumph.

Speaking on 'The Great Indian Cricket Show' on Doordarshan, Patil clarified that decisions were collective:

“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.”

“Our job as selectors was to put the interests of the country, the BCCI, and Indian cricket first,” said Patil, who currently serves as mentor for Mumbai’s senior and age-group teams.

Addressing the delicate balance between personal friendships and professional duty, the former National Cricket Academy (NCA) head highlighted the strict boundaries selection committees must maintain.

“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.”

“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 added. (IANS)