Felt like a 'third-wheel' in England changing room, David Willey says retirement decision final
Kolkata, Nov 12: An emotional David Willey has revealed that he felt like a "third wheel" in England's changing room for being the only player in their World Cup squad not having a central contract.
The pacer, who is performing at his best right now and grabbed three wickets against Pakistan here on Saturday, added that his retirement decision was final.
Having been denied a central contract for the 2023-24 season, 'player of the match' Willey announced his retirement after reaching 100 ODI wickets.
"I don't think never say never but right now I'm very confident my decision that today was my last game of cricket for England," he told reporters after helping England secure a 93-run win over Pakistan at the Eden Gardens.
Asked if he would be tempted to come back for one last go, Willey said, "Do I want to go to the Caribbean and run drinks and not know where I stand and just feel like a third wheel again, which is very much what I felt like when I turned up at Lord's and being the only one without a contract, probably not so I'm done.
"My time is done because I've called time on it, but it's with deep regret, I think. I think anybody looking in has probably looked at the way I've gone about my business and probably playing the best cricket of my career," he said after taking 3/56 in his swansong appearance.
"My situation with England has always been, I know I'm on the fringe. I'm next in if there's an injury, very much a squad player. And I've been very much at peace with that, but it doesn't mean it's easy to be in that position, never knowing where you stand from tour to tour.
"So, look, to go out there and just be able to enjoy my last game of cricket for England was lovely -- the boys have been great. It made it special for me walking out there first. It was a special moment. And they're memories that I'll cherish forever."
Willey was sidelined for England's first three matches and returned to the side in place of Sam Curran, emerging the second-highest wicket-taker with 11 scalps in six matches.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid was England's top wicket-taker in the World Cup with 15 scalps from nine matches.
Willey thinks he could still have played for England at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA in June. But the uncertainty of being without a contract had taken a toll on him and his family.
"I'm 33, as fit as I've ever been. So, one of the reasons that I wasn't offered a contract was them going in a different direction after the World Cup, I don't know why.
"I think, I believe that I could still be a part of that World Cup and an injury or two, and they're going to be calling on someone with very little to no experience in World Cups. So, yeah, look I think I could still have played a part in that (T20) World Cup.
"I feel like I'm probably playing my best cricket. So that was part of my decision-making with my family, but it's been a period for some time now and like I've just touched on not knowing quite where I stand with England and it's just taken its toll and becomes very tiring," he signed off.
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Extensions in service setback to those who are in line: Vice President Dhankhar
Bengaluru, Jan 11: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Saturday that extensions in service, in any form for a particular post is a setback to those who are in line.
Dhankhar was delivering the inaugural address at the 25th National Conference of Chairpersons of State Public Service Commission being held in Bengaluru.
According to him, extension of service indicates that some individuals are indispensable.
"Indispensability is a myth. Talent abounds in this country. No one is indispensable. And therefore, it lies in the domain of public service commissions at the state and the central level that when they have a role in such kinds of situations, they must be firm," added the VP.
He also said public service commissions' appointments cannot be driven by patronage, or by favouritism.
"We cannot have a public service commission Chairman or a member, wedded to a particular ideology or an individual. That will be undoing the essence and spirit of the framework of the constitution," said Dhankhar.
The Vice-President also frowned upon post-retirement recruitment and said it is antithetical to what was visualised by framers of the Constitution.
"In some states, it has been structured. Employees never retire, particularly those in the premium services. They get a number of ad-hoc nomenclatures. This is not good. Everyone in the country must have due and that due is defined by law," said the VP.
The VP also said fairness of selection has no meaning if paper leakages occur.
"Paper leakage has become an industry, a form of commerce. This is a menace that must be curbed," he added.
He commended the initiative the government has taken in this regard, with the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024.
The Vice President is also of the view that although it is "India's century", without a "calm political atmosphere" India will not really gain.
A vitiated political climate is far more dangerous than the climate change we are facing, he pointed out.
"Our polity at the moment is too divisive, too polarised. Interaction is not taking place at the premium level in political organisations."
The solution, according to him, is harmony in polity.
"Harmony is imperative. If there is no harmony in polity, if the polity is polarized, deeply divisive, with no communication channels functioning, imagine you are in an earthquake, you are lost and you have no connection with the outside world, things will be terrible for you," he added.
He also said for India to stand strong, we need strong institutions.
"Any institution, if it is weakened, the damage is to the entire nation. Weakening of an institution is like a prick on the body. The entire body will be in pain," said Dhankhar.
To build strong institutions, he added, states and Union governments must work in tandem.
"They must be in synergetic mode. They must be in sync with one another when it comes to national interest," said the VP.
Noting that discussion is deeply rooted in our civilizational ethos, the Vice President urged senior leadership for all political parties, irrespective of their ideologies, to "enhance dialogue, believe in consensus and always be ready for deliberation".
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was also present on the occasion, said Public Service Commissions are pillars of democracy, upholding meritocracy and fairness, and contributing immensely to governance.
"Karnataka has a rich history in public administration, starting with the Mysore Civil Services (MCS) examination initiated by Dewan Sir K Seshadri Iyer in 1892. This pioneering step set the foundation for a cadre of distinguished administrators, a legacy Karnataka continues to uphold with pride," he added.
He said tackling challenges such as paper leaks remains a top priority for Karnataka today. He also said learning from the best practices of other states and leveraging advanced technologies like artificial intelligence will make recruitment more transparent and corruption-free.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot; Chairman of UPSC Preeti Sudan and Chairman of Karnataka Public Service Commission Shivashankarappa S Sahukar were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
