Mid-Day

Paes said he never interfered in selection matters. “I don't think it is the priority of the players to get into the governance and selection,” he said.

Paes also heaped praise on the rookies playing alongside him. He said, “For me, these boys are already winners. Considering whatever is going on, it would have been easy for them to get drawn into all this.

Some of these players could also have been tempted to join them (rebels). “But they kept the country ahead of themselves and came out to play. I respect that.”