Rahul Dravid urges decisive call on MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh's role in team

[SandyB]

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Rahul Dravid urges decisive call on MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh's role in team

NEW DELHI: Time has come for India to take decisions with focus on the 2019 World Cup and that includes a call on the role of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh in the current team, feels former captain Rahul Dravid.

"It is a call that is got to be taken by the selectors and the management," Dravid told 'ESPNCricinfo' when asked about future of Yuvraj and Dhoni, who were the team's number four and five in the Champions Trophy.

"And what they see as the road map for Indian cricket, and where they see the role of both these cricketers going ahead for the next couple of years. Is there a place for both of them? Is there a place for only one of them?

"Do you want to reassess it in a year's time, six months' time? Do you want to look at the available talent and see what they have to offer before going back to these two players," he elaborated further.

India will play the limited overs series in the West Indies beginning Friday with a full strength squad. However, Dravid hopes the youngsters get a chance in the playing eleven.

"They have taken a decision to go to the West Indies with a full-strength squad. I really hope they are willing to experiment at least in the playing XI and give more opportunities to people.

"If you don't do that, suddenly you don't want to come to a situation and, say, in a year's time, where you say, 'We haven't given people chances so these are the only guys we have got.'

"Better position to be in: 'We have tried everything else, but we still feel that Yuvi and Dhoni are fit, they are playing very well, and they are the guys to see us through.' And no one will complain about that," he said.

Dravid added that time has come to also decide on the spin combination with finger spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja not making much of an impact on flat pitches during the Champions Trophy.

"We are playing on really flat wickets. It is tough on them, and ... it is not happening. If you want wickets in the middle, wrist-spinners and mystery spinners are the ones who look like taking wickets on some of these flat wickets with the fielding restrictions.

"It is nice to have Kuldeep Yadav coming in. He needs to be given a lot more game time. He has got ability, he has got a bit of mystery about him," he added.

Kuldeep has been picked in the squad for the West Indies tour comprising five ODIS and a T20 International.

So the calls are getting stronger. The Dhoni era set a precedent by dumping a still serviceable ganguly from tests and a Dravid from LOI's ..

Shouldn't those lofty standards that apply to this generation of seniors as well ??

I know Pakistani PP'ers have a soft spot for MSD and Yuvi, but as an Indian fan I feel they are almost done and we need to groom replacements for 2019.

What do you think?

 

[FlickedOffHips]

Dravid is right. Yuvi is 35, Dhoni 36 in two weeks. You need to ask what you can expect from them two years on in 19. One of them needs to go at least . I think it has to be Yuvraj. A simple, better replacement is KL Rahul.

Dhoni can carry on another two years because of his keeping and his leadership. Still, i'm half expecting a MS retirement call after WI tour

 

[TahirFan]

The helicopter is too old now. A new model is needed

 

[proud_pakistani]

Definitely think they can play till the next World Cup but they should have experimented with the squad against a relatively weak West Indies side for future assessment. I guess they are worried that they might get beaten like the way they were beaten by Bangladesh after sending a weakened side. India making the same mistakes which Pakistan used to make.

 

[troodon]

Both need to go. They will be too old for 2019 WC. A decision needs to be made now and give maximum exposure to youngsters like Pant/Samson/Iyer/Rahul.

Also, since the next WC is again in England with similar pitches, Aswin should not be part of ODI team. Kuldeep or some leggie like Chahal should be groomed.

Jaddu and Krunal need to fight out for the spinning all rounder spot.

A decision should be made now. Not after 1 year when it will be too late.

 

[zulfiqar]

I view Yuvraj & Dhoni as modern ODI legends. They have been awesome to watch as a Pakistani fan and I've always enjoyed their batting. But it's getting to that point where they are declining, and Dravid's comments are 100% correct. Pakistan needs to do the same sort of thinking with Shoaib Malik & M Hafeez as well. Will these players be better than possible replacements in 2 years' time? They don't have to chop them right away, but expectations need to be set, and if they are not met they need replacements ready to go!

 

[Justcrazy]

Kuldeep should be in the team , he is a very good bowler. Unfair not to give him a go.

 

[The_Odd_One]

With heavy heart I must agree to Dravid. Dhoni and Yuvraj are my favorite Indian cricketers, extremely clutch batsmen but it is time to retire now.

Dhoni of 3-4 years old would have never played that stupid shot.

 

[Varun]

You can make a case for Dhoni at a stretch seeing that he's also keeper and part time batsman.

Yuvraj unfortunately can be the immediate casualty after this mauling. He's been off colour since 2011 bar an innings here or there.

 

[Savak]

Yuvraj if he plays should come lower down the order when the spinners are operating, the only way he can be effective is when he has the license to hit, he doesn't otherwise have the reflexes to deal with pacers when they have a spring in their step early in their innings.

 

[TalentSpotterPk]

Yuvraj is not fit. Overweight.

Dhoni's downhill.


India has many promising youngsters.

Manish & Pant need to replace Yuvraj & Dhoni.

Ashwin should be rested for Kuldeep.


Bumrah should be rested for Shami.


Interestingly Dravid did not discuss Kedar Jadav.


Shami not getting a single game was shocking. Who knows if Kumble wanted him in playing eleven ahead of Ashwin.

 

[Sachin136]

We don't have anything important in terms of ODIs before the world cup (we should be fine for the asia cup with the current team), so it might be best to give them an year to see how they do. If they don't do well, they still have an year to get new players ready for the world cup.

Dhoni has been doing okay with the bat recently and his keeping is still great.

 

[Railu Katta]

Keep them both in the team. They are walking wickets these days

 

[pillionrider]

Dhoni is the best keeper in the country. By a country mile.

There is no other keeper who seems like he could be a better batsman than what Dhoni has to offer now.

Yuvraj seems to be sadly living on borrowed time. Luckily for him, no one else seems to be convincingly coming through.

Kedar Jadhav was never a long term proposition. Not sure why Raina has been discarded. The number of crunch knocks he has played, you'd think he would be invaluable in that lower middle-order.

As for Jadeja, there has been no cricketer in the history of Indian cricket who has been given as long a rope as him. For some reason, he always slips under the radar in LOI cricket. It's like his position in the team is untouchable. Anyone with a bit of guts can smash the living daylights out of him. As a batsman, he is the definition of a hack. Since when did we start picking fielders.

 

[Rafay Shafiq]

You can make a case for Dhoni at a stretch seeing that he's also keeper and part time batsman.

Yuvraj unfortunately can be the immediate casualty after this mauling. He's been off colour since 2011 bar an innings here or there.

Why Raina has been discarded so quickly

 

[Napa]

Dravid is right. Yuvi is 35, Dhoni 36 in two weeks. You need to ask what you can expect from them two years on in 19. One of them needs to go at least.

They both definitely need to go. They have served the country well. They cannot however do what the youngsters can do. Rohit will be 32 in 2019, and maybe he should make way for someone else too.

 

[pillionrider]

Rohit will be 32 in 2019, and maybe he should make way for someone else too.

Kohli will be 30 in 2019. Maybe we should look beyond him too.

 

[Couch Cricketer]

They should at least try out replacements as both of them are old India probably has batting reserves to fill the places but wicket keeper batsman like Dhoni will be hard to replace.

 

[SandyB]

Why Raina has been discarded so quickly

His personal/childhood coach recently made a statement saying after he got married, he had become a "reluctant cricketer", not really trying his best to get back in the playing squad. His fitness too is a bit low, still a great fielder though.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Dhoni is the best keeper in the country. By a country mile.

There is no other keeper who seems like he could be a better batsman than what Dhoni has to offer now.

Yuvraj seems to be sadly living on borrowed time. Luckily for him, no one else seems to be convincingly coming through.

Kedar Jadhav was never a long term proposition. Not sure why Raina has been discarded. The number of crunch knocks he has played, you'd think he would be invaluable in that lower middle-order.

As for Jadeja, there has been no cricketer in the history of Indian cricket who has been given as long a rope as him. For some reason, he always slips under the radar in LOI cricket. It's like his position in the team is untouchable. Anyone with a bit of guts can smash the living daylights out of him. As a batsman, he is the definition of a hack. Since when did we start picking fielders.

Has not Saha done better than Dhoni in tests and IPL recently? He can bat at a good SR in ODIs.

 

[Napa]

Why Raina has been discarded so quickly

No good reason really, India should have brought the batsmen like Raina who did well in IPL, rather than Yuvi, Rohit, and Dhoni.

The biggest mistake was not playing Yadav. He had figures of 7.4-0-30-3 on June 4. 3 wkts at 3.9 per over, why would you not play him and instead play Ashwin when spinners were getting hit all over the place?

 

[Napa]

Has not Saha done better than Dhoni in tests and IPL recently? He can bat at a good SR in ODIs.

Saha is likely as good as a wicketkeeper and a better batsman than Dhoni at present. However he is thought to be too old to be Dhoni's replacement. I don't agree with that thinking.

This Indian CT team was a nostalgia team of the teams of 2011 and 2015 WCs. Need a new team for 2019.

 

[troodon]

No good reason really, India should have brought the batsmen like Raina who did well in IPL, rather than Yuvi, Rohit, and Dhoni.

The biggest mistake was not playing Yadav. He had figures of 7.4-0-30-3 on June 4. 3 wkts at 3.9 per over, why would you not play him and instead play Ashwin when spinners were getting hit all over the place?

Stubborn and keeping the winning combination.

Pathetic decision to go in with 2 finger spinners who were getting no purchase from the wicket. Cannon fodder on those wickets.

Umesh should have played in place of Ashwin.

Not selecting Raina over Yuvi was a mistake. Raina was in terrific form in IPL and he is still a gun fielder unlike Yuvraj who is a shell of his former self in the field.

 

[SandyB]

Has not Saha done better than Dhoni in tests and IPL recently? He can bat at a good SR in ODIs.

Saha is THE best keeper in India by a mile !. The only strength Dhoni has over him (as of now) is the Stumping ability and presence of mind in Run-Outs. Saha proved very well that he could keep to spinners in the past home season. (took some amazing catches) W.R.T fast bowling it wasn't even a contest to begin with ..!

The only problem with Saha is that his ODI batting is mostly untested, and even if he was okay, he'd still be nowhere near MSD who is a proper Batsman Keeper..

India has 2 options :

1. Try to mould Sanju Samson / Rishab Pant like Dhoni. They are good lower order bats with considerable hitting power and aggression, but mediocre keepers. So keeping should improve and finishing ability worked upon.

OR

2. Forgo a Dhoni like finisher at 5, instead using Saha as a lower order slogger and WK at 6 or 7 (which he does in domestics and IPL) and instead strengthen number 4 by dumping yuvraj for Iyer/Pant/Samson or Pandey, with Hardik or a good batsman at 6 before saha . So Dhoni's traditional role would now be shared by 4-5-6 with hardik at 7 doing the push at the death .

 

[Hasan123]

Yuvraj needs to go. Kuldeep should definitely get some games vs West Indies.

 

[big_gamer007]

Good comments by Dravid. Agreed 100% with everything he said. We should have taken Pant and Samson to WI tours and rested Yuvi, Dhoni..

 

[Pete Rose]

yes we have our own version of extremely-poor-man's-version-of-legends to contend with as well: malik and hafeez.