Almost three years after Indian batting legend's Sachin Tendulkar's retirement, the timing of the decision was back in focus on Monday during a press conference held by outgoing chief selector Sandeep Patil. The former India cricketer refused to divulge any information about Tendulkar's retirement, which happened during his tenure in 2013 after the Board of Control for Cricket in India organised a hastily-arranged home series against the West Indies.

"There are some matters between the selectors and [the] BCCI which should remain confidential and cannot be revealed," Patil said, when asked about the timing of Tendulkar's retirement. "The only sad thing about being a selector is that you end up losing some of your friends. But that's part of the game," he added, as reported by PTI.

Patil and his team, comprising Saba Karim, Vikram Rathour, Gagan Khoda and MSK Prasad picked their final squad, for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, before their tenure ends. "We have taken some bold and tough decisions looking at the future of Indian cricket. We are very happy at the end of our term that the team is doing well in all three formats," Patil said.