CricDigs Blogs

For once the Indian team has a captain in the form of MS Dhoni who looks fit to carry the burden of people’s expectation and still maintain his all-conquering ways. His wisdom has been the glue that has held together a team full of young hopefuls and seniors who are looked upon as demi-Gods. Had it not been for Dhoni, the rift between the seniors and the young guns of the Indian team might have become a reality. What Dhoni really needs is the unquestioned support from the Indian selection committee and a selection panel that behaves like Dhoni himself — ignoring regional preferences or personal likes/dislikes. However, what has transpired in the last few days is suggestive of the fact that the Indian Board might be falling back in its old self-destructive mode.

Why is that when the team was gelling so well and looking very much like world beaters, the selectors had do raise this issue of selection of Irfan Pathan over RP Singh? This series may be against a weaker English side, but it is very important for the Indian team. This is first time Dhoni would is captaining in his nation, knowing that he is now the man totally in-charge, skippering the side in one-dayers, test matches and T20. This is the first time that Dhoni might be feeling the pressure of international cricket with so much cricket being cramped together. So what it basically means is that Dhoni needs the least number of issues that could tamper his peace of mind, especially those regarding his very own team. This is where the selectors have played a spoilsport.

Agreed, RP hasn’t been performing very well for a few months but the fact is that Irfan too has been badly out of form for more than two seasons. He might have redeemed himself to some extent by performing well in some T20 matches, but he isn’t even a shadow of his former swinging self. His pace and swing are both absent and he can at best be described as a containing bowling option — something he isn’t a champion at!! He has been playing in the Indian domestic league and was most probably working upon his bowling and focus. What wasn’t needed was to push him prematurely in a series where bowlers are getting carted all over the place. Irfan needs to get bowling practice and play more test matches to get his confidence back as Indian’s wicket-taking option.

This is probably why Dhoni didn’t want his return to the team to be hurried. History has it that the Indian selectors and captains have seldom had good working relations. When Srikkanth came to the fore, it seemed that things would change as both he and Dhoni appeared like approaching the game in the same way. Now, with all the drama being reported over Dhoni wanting to step down as the captain because Irfan’s selection was pressed upon him, it might be that the selectors are again functioning out-of-sync with what the captain.