Updated: August 17, 2020 6:23:55 PM
Dhoni announced his international retirement on Sunday, sinking into the sunset as India’s most successful captain in the shorter formats, with the World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and World T20 titles in his bag. (PTI / File Photo)
Former BCCI President N Srinivasan has revealed to The Indian Express how he exercised his authority as chairman of the board to retain MS Dhoni as India’s ODI captain in 2011-12, when the then selection committee decided to remove him.
Dhoni announced his international pension on Saturday, sauntering into the sunset as India’s most successful captain in the shorter formats, with the World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and World T20 titles in his bag.
What was the background of that selection meeting?
In April 2011, Dhoni led India to world championships. But in the following season, when India Tests played in England and Australia, the team performed poorly. They lost 0-4 in England, followed by another 0-4 whitewash in Australia.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth was then the chief selector, but his colleague on the selection committee, former Indian batsman Mohinder Amarnath, was said to be driving the idea of a captaincy change.
Why was Dhoni under pressure?
In the previous season, India ran at no. 1 in the ICC Test rankings, but it was a grueling side and away from home, in swinging and sewing conditions, the team wrestled poorly. Some of the Tests ended in a little over nine sessions. Dhoni’s captaincy looked uncertain. Sometimes India failed to seize the moment.
As a batsman, however, he did not fare badly in the Tests in England, where he scored two half-centuries. In the ODI series in England he was the highest run-getter of India – 236 on average 78.
In Australia, India again suffered heavy defeats in all four tests and this time Dhoni was also unsuccessful with the ball, averaging 20. The selection committee was of the opinion that a change of guard was needed, but as Srinivasan said, they did it a backup ready.
“They (selectors) did not even think about who would be his replacement,” Srinivasan told this paper.
That what happened in the run-up to the ODI team selection meeting?
A triangular ODI series followed the Tests in Australia. Before the formal meeting, the selectors met informally, and they even discussed Dhoni’s place in the side.
“There was a discussion and then I said there was no way he would not be a player,” Srinivasan said.
Read | Ms Dhoni was no longer first choice, retirement was too late
And what happened at the meeting?
The selectors caught Dhoni in the team, but they did not choose a captain. Srinivasan said he received a call from then-BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale, informing him that the selectors “refused to choose the captain”. Srinivasan was playing golf at the time. He rushed to the meeting and exercised his authority as the BCCI president to retain Dhoni as ODI captain.
What was Srinivasan’s argument?
That the voters could not remove Dhoni as ODI captain based on India’s performance in Tests. Only a few months earlier, Dhoni had led the team to a world championship triumph, and he could not become a bad captain.
“The point is, how do you remove him as the ODI captain? He had won the World Cup (only a few months ago), “Srinivasan told The Indian Express.
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Will Srinivasan veto the selectors?
Yes he was. Like the old BCCI constitution, the president’s approval required team selections to proceed. “The president will approve the composition of a team selected by the selection committee,” said the old BCCI constitution.
Does the BCCI president still have veto power over selection matters?
No. The reforms of Justice Lodha have changed that. The new BCCI Constitution, approved by the Supreme Court, states: “The management of cricketing matters such as selection, coaching and evaluation of team performance will be dealt with exclusively by the Cricket Committee (selection committee in case of team selection) consisting only of Players…”
Read also | The highs and lows of MS Dhoni’s 15-year international career
Was Srinivasan’s decision to retain Dhoni as skipper confirmed?
The process of phasing out the old guard began after the tour in Australia. But it has taken time for India to regroup. Under the captaincy of Dhoni, India lost a home Test series against England in 2012. However, when youngsters like Shikhar Dhawan were drafted in, India shot back to Australia in the home Test series in 2013. A few months later they won the Champions Trophy in England.
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