Wednesday 26 December 2012

Dhoni’s achievements should not be downplayed

The world over, a leader is hailed when successful and guillotined when he loses. Indian cricket captains have all faced this dilemma.

Hang the leader is the unconditional outcome of our emotional behaviour.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a rookie, with no previous history of captaincy, when he led a young side to victory in the first ICC World Twenty20. The qualities that he exhibited could be a case study on leadership for any academic institution in the world.

Here was a leader, who came from a small town but carried no burden of cricket history, politics, past performances or social acceptance. He exhibited cool, calm and innovative skills, on and off the field and his unusual, but effective cricket technique made him a superman of Indian cricket.

The swords are now out to cut him to size. His failure to win Test matches overseas and at home and the loss in the latest World T20 has put him very close to the firing squad. Here is the captain who made us the number one Test team and also won us the World Cup after 28 years.

We have to understand that we have the world’s best leader in our fold. But he can only be as good as his team.

I fail to fathom as to how Dhoni can be blamed for our problems to the moving and short ball overseas and our bowlers and batsmen underperforming on the spinning tracks at home.

Left with very few alternatives, his best option was to think of the team’s strength. The thinking only brought out spin as the best solution. He deployed it in the first Test in Ahmedabad and India won.

The England batsmen looked ill- equipped and vulnerable.

Dhoni announced that he requires a spinning wicket at all centres. I don’t think he did anything wrong.

Unfortunately for him, his batsmen and bowlers did not match up to the extraordinary batting of Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen and the bowling of Swann and Panesar. The unemotional and controlled demeanour of the Indian captain was rattled by our channels as well as cricket legends and fans.

Dhoni’s performance has made him a certainty in all formats of the game. He now needs to be given the authority and support that he deserves. Rather than demolish the world’s best captain, we should build a young side around him that will help us regain our past glory.

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