MS Dhoni India support staff, urges BCCI not to rush Fletcher replacement

Sport360 staff 10:10 23/06/2015
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  • Support: Dhoni believes team director Ravi Shastri (l) and his coaching staff are capable of managing the Indian team.

    India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes the Board of Control for Cricket in India must not rush into the appointment of the national coach, a post that has been lying vacant since Duncan Fletcher’s contract ended after the 2015 World Cup in March.

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India has already dragged its feet for the past three months before constituting an advisory panel comprising egends Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman to oversee the appointment of a new coach.

    In the meantime, team director Ravi Shastri alongwith batting coach Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar, who had been part of the national team since August last year, were entrusted with the task of managing the show in Bangladesh. However, with India crashing to embarrassing defeats in the first two one-dayers by 79 runs and six wickets in Mirpur, the absence of a head coach has come into focus.

    Dhoni took a swipe at the media for failing to appreciate the contributions of Fletcher during his fouryear tenure and felt the current coaches are capable of handling the job until the new appointment is made. “At least indirectly you are saying you are missing Duncan Fletcher,” he said. “I felt he was one guy who was never really appreciated by the media.

    “He did all the hard work. He was with the team for a long time. He went on really tough tours but I don’t think we should blame the support staff. Ultimately it is the individuals that go out and adapt and do what is required. I don’t think it is the support staff.

     “If you are indirectly hinting that we need a coach and all that, we have enough people in the support staff to take care of us. And even if the position of the coach is vacant for some time, it is okay. Don’t put just anybody there just because the post is vacant. Then it will have a bad impact in the long run.

    “It takes time to make these decisions, and our team generally doesn’t have that time because we keep playing non-stop,” he added.

    While admitting that his team was “completely outplayed” in the first two games of the three-match series, Dhoni feels fatigue cannot be ruled out in the team’s displays.

    “It is quite disappointing. This is our first series loss (against Bangladesh). But in sport you must always find the reason. We were completely outplayed in both matches. Yes, it is disappointing. But it is not the end of the world.

    “It has been a long season of cricket for us. Four and a half months in Australia. Before that two and a half months in England. So it keeps going on.”

    “It is very difficult for me to say if this (fatigue) is the reason. But it is the same team that keeps on playing in every series. So it becomes a bit tiring to consistently turn up and perform.”

    The third and final ODI will be played at the same venue tomorrow.

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