Pain of not getting farewell game shall always remain: Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag during a Champion County match for Marylebone Cricket Club against Durham at Abu Dhabi last year

New Delhi: Virender Sehwag, who has recently called time on his glorious international cricket career, says the sadness of being "deprived of a farewell game shall always remain" in his mind.

Also read: Sachin Tendulkar stopped me from retiring in 2007, says Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag during a Champion County match for Marylebone Cricket Club against Durham at Abu Dhabi last year. Pic/Getty Images

"Had the selectors told me that they were going to drop me, I could have requested them to allow me to play my last Test in Delhi and then announce my retirement, but they did not give me that opportunity.

"A sort of sadness shall always remain in my mind that I was not allowed to retire while playing, but anyway, it's all a part of life for a sportsman, who, while playing, never realises when he should retire, but he starts thinking about it when he is dropped," Sehwag told India TV's show 'Aap Ki Aadalat'.

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The explosive batsman made 23 Test centuries and 15 tons in ODIs. "I would like to ask: Doesn't a player who has played 12 to 13 years for his country, deserve a farewell match?"

On organisers planning to give him a farewell during the forthcoming Test in Delhi between India and South Africa starting December 3, Sehwag said: "If that is so, it will be good. If BCCI cannot organise, at least DDCA should. It's not a question of me alone, every player who retires should get a farewell."

Also read: Virender Sehwag set to retire from international cricket

The former opener said there should be fixed criteria for selection of players, whether senior or junior. "If a player fails to perform in four or five consecutive matches, he should be dropped irrespective of whether he is a senior or a junior player," he said.