MUMBAI: Indian captain MS Dhoni's diplomatic skills were on display as he addressed the media prior to the team's departure to the West Indies for the ICC World T20, starting on April 30. After a hectic and draining IPL 3, both Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten preferred put the fatigue factor on the backburner.
"Regrouping is no worry. Sometimes, we just have to respect the schedule and play with what is available. There is no point complaining. The IPL finished on the 25th and we have assembled a day later. We literally have one whole day of flying time with several connecting flights. Then we go there and have two or three days to practice. I think that's more than enough. We play together for almost 250 or 300 days in a year. Regrouping is not a concern," said Dhoni.
He must have chosen to embark upon the World T20 campaign scandal free. Interestingly, both the captain and coach's explosive "team was tired and didn't get time to regroup" comments, post the team's nightmarish campaign in last year's World T20 in England, hadn't pleased the BCCI.
In 2010, the Indian skipper has no such concerns. Even the lack of form of his biggest match-winner, Yuvraj Singh, isn't a problem for him.
"Yuvraj is a great player and is one of the biggest hitters in T20. He can also contribute with the ball. He has not scored too many runs in the IPL, but it's nothing to worry about because in T20, you are just five or 10 balls away from getting back into form."
The 28-year-old flashed his disarming smile. Was he thanking his lucky stars that everyone in his team is fit and there could be no repeat of the Sehwag and Zaheer episode in England? "As of now, we haven't received any medical report which says that any player is injured. I'm glad that nobody is injured," he said.
The IPL-winning captain is hoping that the winning touch stays with him till May 16. But for that, he will need some luck with the kind of wickets that are dished out. India will be hoping that the pitches afford turn so that Dhoni can employ the tactic of opening with spin, something that he did consistently and successfully in the IPL. Would he do the same in West Indies?
"It's definitely an option. We have a couple of players in Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan who have consistently bowled in the first six overs in the IPL. We also have very good part-timers in the team. Yusuf and Jadeja can be called specialist spinners. Hopefully, as the tournament progresses, the wickets will get slower," he stated.
"Regrouping is no worry. Sometimes, we just have to respect the schedule and play with what is available. There is no point complaining. The IPL finished on the 25th and we have assembled a day later. We literally have one whole day of flying time with several connecting flights. Then we go there and have two or three days to practice. I think that's more than enough. We play together for almost 250 or 300 days in a year. Regrouping is not a concern," said Dhoni.
He must have chosen to embark upon the World T20 campaign scandal free. Interestingly, both the captain and coach's explosive "team was tired and didn't get time to regroup" comments, post the team's nightmarish campaign in last year's World T20 in England, hadn't pleased the BCCI.
In 2010, the Indian skipper has no such concerns. Even the lack of form of his biggest match-winner, Yuvraj Singh, isn't a problem for him.
"Yuvraj is a great player and is one of the biggest hitters in T20. He can also contribute with the ball. He has not scored too many runs in the IPL, but it's nothing to worry about because in T20, you are just five or 10 balls away from getting back into form."
The 28-year-old flashed his disarming smile. Was he thanking his lucky stars that everyone in his team is fit and there could be no repeat of the Sehwag and Zaheer episode in England? "As of now, we haven't received any medical report which says that any player is injured. I'm glad that nobody is injured," he said.
The IPL-winning captain is hoping that the winning touch stays with him till May 16. But for that, he will need some luck with the kind of wickets that are dished out. India will be hoping that the pitches afford turn so that Dhoni can employ the tactic of opening with spin, something that he did consistently and successfully in the IPL. Would he do the same in West Indies?
"It's definitely an option. We have a couple of players in Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan who have consistently bowled in the first six overs in the IPL. We also have very good part-timers in the team. Yusuf and Jadeja can be called specialist spinners. Hopefully, as the tournament progresses, the wickets will get slower," he stated.
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