Sandeep Patil was faced with few tricky questions during his final press conference as Chairman of Selectors. After announcing India’s squad for the New Zealand series, Sandeep Patil was asked about the timing of Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement. There are some matters between the selectors and BCCI which should remain confidential and cannot be revealed, he told.

However, he revealed few incidents and facts about Sachin’s retirement soon after he was officially replaced by MSK Prasad as the new selection committee chairman on Wednesday.

Sachin Would Have Been Dropped From ODIs:

Sandeep revealed that Sachin Tendulkar would have found himself out of the 50-overs team if he had not retired from the format in 2012. He said that the selectors had a chat with the batsman post the fourth Test against England at Nagpur and added that perhaps the right-hander understood what they were trying to indicate.

“On December 12, 2012, we met Sachin and asked him about his future plans. He said he did not have retirement on his mind. But the selection committee had reached a consensus on Sachin… and had informed the board too about it. Perhaps Sachin understood what was coming because, at the time of the next meeting, Sachin called and said he was retiring (from ODIs). If he had not announced his decision to quit then, we would have definitely dropped him,” Patil told.

Sandeep added that asking a player of Tendulkar’s stature about his retirement plans was the most painful memory of his term.

“Sandeep Patil is a man of low stature compared to Sachin Tendulkar. Do you really think I can ask someone who is called the ‘god of cricket’ to leave the game? It was not my decision, Sachin himself decided to bid goodbye. No doubt I was a part of that decision. It was a right decision taken at a right time. I was disappointed like a million others but you shouldn’t get disturbed when you are at the chief selector’s position,” Sandeep stated.

In the same interview, the former cricketer also confessed that there were talks within the panel of replacing MS Dhoni as skipper, but they didn’t so, keeping in mind that the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was in the vicinity.

Sandeep Patil also clarified that as a selector, he didn’t have the power to ask any player to retire and that all senior players like Sachin, Virender Sehwag, and MS Dhoni decided to call it a day as and when they felt it was right.