Reports emanating in Indian media suggest that the MS Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher might be sent packing after their team’s poor results in South Africa and New Zealand. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to discuss India’s overseas performances which have been consistently on the decline in the last three years.
The body is likely to call team captain MS Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher to the meeting, expected to take place this week.
Reports emanating in Indian media suggest that the duo might be sent packing after their team’s poor results in South Africa and New Zealand.
“We want to take stock of the situation,” a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. “We want to know what is going wrong. We would like to know from them what is required to improve.”
According to this official, despite the public criticism of the roles of Dhoni and Fletcher in the past week, the BCCI still retained the confidence in the combination which started work formally from India’s tour of England in 2011.
India’s recent run in foreign tours is abysmal to say the least, the cricketing powerhouse suffered 4-0 whitewashes in England followed by Australia, lost 1-0 to South Africa last December and the series against New Zealand by a similar margin.
Fletcher’s overseas record says 10 defeats in 15 matches while Dhoni has lost nine out of the 14 Tests he has led India overseas, since Fletcher’s appointment.
Ganguly, Dravid tear into Fletcher
The overseas debacles have become a raging debate in the cricket-mad country. Two former India captains Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid criticised the team severely. “Our reputation has been tarnished, but Dhoni needs help,” Ganguly told TV channel Headlines Today.
“I don’t know what Fletcher is doing. The approach needs to be right, and Fletcher needs to help Dhoni. He has clearly struggled and he needs to be more involved.”
Dravid, regarded as one of the most technically accomplished batsmen of his era, feels that Dhoni had grown defensive in his approach abroad. “I think he’s got to realise this very quickly, that if he wants to win Test matches abroad, he’s got to risk it all,” Dravid stated to ESPNcricinfo.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2014.
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