New Delhi: The BCCI on Thursday stepped in to bring about harmony in the Indian cricket team in Australia, telling skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and vice-captain Virender Sehwag to ensure that there was unity.
Although the BCCI had yesterday claimed that there was no rift in the team and there was nothing to be “concerned about”, it is learnt that Secretary Sanjay Jagdale has been entrusted with the task of talking to the team management and helping restore peace in the dressing room.
No BCCI official was, however, willing to comment on the development.
BCCI sources said Jagdale has spoken to Dhoni, Sehwag and coach Duncan Fletcher, and has told them to play as a team.
There was also reports that Dhoni and Sehwag could address a joint press conference to convey the message that all is well in the team and there was no division among senior players.
Reports of dissensions surfaced mainly after the team management introduced the rotation policy for only three openers — Sachin Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, a move which sparked off a heated debate on its merits.
The first signs of the rift came into the open when Gambhir took a dig at Dhoni for not finishing matches early enough with the skipper retorting that it was a matter of perception.
Dhoni then dropped a bombshell by publicly snubbing the fielding abilities of the three openers and said they were not being played together as they were slow fielders and could cost the team 20 extra runs.
But Sehwag countered his captain by saying that the seniors were never told that fielding was an issue when the rotation policy was introduced.
Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram has backed Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s controversial rotation policy, saying that there is “good reason” behind the move as senior players are either “not in his control” or they have become a “liability”.
Akram said Dhoni’s comments are an “absolutely genuine” opinion.
“In my opinion, Dhoni is a very intelligent person and I totally agree with him because he says what he thinks. There must be a very good reason behind his comments. I have never heard Dhoni speaking in such a manner,” Akram told ‘espnstar.com’.
“I think either the seniors are not in his control or they are a liability,” he said.
The former Pakistan captain feels Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag will have to be physically fit to sustain themselves in the ODI format.
“As the grounds are big in Australia, players have to be in the best of their health to play. Nobody questions Tendulkar’s fitness, either you see him fielding at short third-man or fine-leg. You can hide your fielders in Test and T20s but not in ODIs,” Akram explained.
Akram also questioned the role of coach Duncan Fletcher in team selection.
“If I am the coach, I will send the best batsman to open the innings. Gautam Gambhir has scored in 90s twice in the series so far and he is the best opener available. It is up to the team management to decide who will be his opening partner.
“That will also give you a left hand-right hand combination. In the match against Sri Lanka we saw both the out-of-form batsmen opening the innings. So, what is the use of keeping a coach when he is not able to decide?” asked Akram. (PTI)