While newly elected BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has claimed that he wants clarity on MS Dhoni from the selectors, who led by MSK Prasad steered far away from discussing former captain after announcing the side for the Bangladesh series, India coach Ravi Shastri however wasn’t as kind when it came to reacting to the oft asked questions about Dhoni.
“Half the guys commenting on MS Dhoni can’t even tie their shoelaces. Look at what he’s achieved for the country. Why are people in a hurry to see him off? Maybe, they don’t find enough talking points. He and everybody who knows him know he’ll be going away soon. So, let it happen when it has to. Making statements at his expense is downright disrespectful. After 15 years of playing for India, wouldn’t he know what’s the right thing to do? When he retired from Test cricket, what did he say? That Wriddhiman Saha was good enough to be handed over the wicket-keeping gloves. He was correct. He’s been a shadow when it comes to the team, always sharing his mind, lending his views,” he told Times of India.
For India and Shastri the focus now is back to building for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia next year, and next on the agenda is the series against Bangladesh where the likes of Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube have been called up and Kohli is taking a break with Rohit Sharma named skipper for the series.
“I made it clear that T20 selections won’t be based on reputations. We’ll be looking at it very differently. The path to finding the combination is already on, but make no mistake, T20 will be seen from a fresh perspective and a horses-for-courses policy will be followed.
“We will ensure that if there’s any lack of communication between the selectors and the players, the team management will step in and make sure that everybody’s on the same page at all times. Look at Rishabh for instance – it is my responsibility to get him back to his best when he’s struggling. I have the right to scold him when I’m unhappy as much as I’m sure I’ll give him a standing ovation when he does well.
“The point I’m making here is that it is extremely important for players to be given a long rope. Constant chopping and changing, without letting the players know what’s going right or wrong for them is not correct. Virat shares the same vision. And let’s not forget that one of the pioneers in pursuing this line of thought was Sourav (Ganguly) himself. He was such a great captain during his hey days primarily because he backed his men, trusted in their abilities. In return, they put their best foot forward. This is something the team management will take up with the selection committee.”
