Irrespective of the stage, irrespective of the position, MS Dhoni looms large over Indian cricket. He is out of action since India’s exit from the World Cup, but no discussion is complete without mentioning him or without speculations over this future. The men who matter in Indian cricket have all weighed in on the subject, and while the common consensus is that the former skipper should be the judge while determining his future, there are other voices which seem to suggest that Team India have already moved on.
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh is the latest to speak about Dhoni’s retirement rumours during an event in Mumbai on Monday. Yuvraj trained his guns towards national selectors and said: ““I don’t know boss. You should ask your great selectors, when you meet them. That’s their call, not mine.”
Dhoni hasn’t featured for Team India since their World Cup exit in July and the former India captain isn’t part of the ongoing T20I series against Bangladesh either. Following the announcement of 15-member squad, chief selector MSK Prasad had revealed they are ‘moving on’ from Dhoni.
The 2011 World Cup winning all-rounder also said Team India need ‘better selectors’. Yuvraj stated people talk negative things about players when the going gets tough but one should be able to motivate players when they are down.
“It’s a difficult job (selection) but their thinking in terms of modern-day cricket is not up to the mark,” Yuvraj said. “It’s my opinion. I am always in favour of protecting the players and being positive about them. Talking negative about your players and team doesn’t show you in good light.”
“The character only shows when things are going wrong and you motivate the players. In bad times, everyone talks bad. We definitely need better selectors,” he added.
The southpaw’s criticism of national selectors for messing up the No. 4 batting slot for the 50-over World Cup is well documented. Yuvraj hopes India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup next year are handled better.
“The preparation for next year’s World T20 should start now. You decide your team four months before the World Cup. You have to decide on your 20 players from which 16 will be picked. You can’t shuffle, pick and drop players at the last moment. World Cup is a serious tournament.”
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