Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri called former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni the “ultimate team man” and said that some “jealous” people wanted him to have a "couple of bad days" as they are “waiting to see” his international career come to an end.
Looks like there are a lot of jealous people around, who just want Dhoni to have a couple of bad days. There are a few people who are waiting to see the end of MS Dhoni. But great players like him decide their own future.Ravi Shastri to Anandabazar Patrika
Several people, including Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman, had raised questions about Dhoni’s place in India’s T20 squad during the recently concluded series against New Zealand.
He said the Indian team knew Dhoni's worth and that the criticism against the wicketkeeper-batsman made no difference to them.
"It (the criticism) doesn't make a difference to me. In our minds we know where Dhoni stands within the team. He is an ultimate team-man. He was a great leader and now an ultimate team-man."
Taking a dig at some former cricketers and experts who were critical of Dhoni now and have suggested he be dropped from the T20 side, he said: "Not so long ago I used to do television and people used to ask me questions. You need to answer questions to make a show happen.
“Dhoni is a superstar. He is one of our greatest cricketers. So he is always going to be a great topic. He is always going to be a topic because he is a legend. When you have a career as glorious as that, you become a topic on television.”
Shastri pointed out that Dhoni, who has retired from Test cricket, has averaged over 65 in ODIs over the last one year and helped India win matches in Sri Lanka and against Australia at home in the last series.
Dhoni's 37-ball-49 in the second T20 International that India lost to New Zealand was criticised by experts as he played too many dot balls.
(With inputs from IANS.)
(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT in partnership with #MyRightToBreathe to find a solution to pollution. Send in your suggestions to fit@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)