Windies’ Ramdin banned for 2 games
London: The day-to-day happenings in the BCCI since the IPL spot-fixing scandal broke out has not bothered the Indian team, according to captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who said that his his players were only focused on the ongoing Champions Trophy.
“As players, we can only control the things we are able to,” Dhoni told mediapersons ahead of his team’s second group league encounter against the West Indies on Tuesday.
“We don’t get to read newspapers and there are no channels. So we are not disturbed here. We can focus on cricket and do our own team exercises,” he said.
For the first time in four days, the Indians trained outdoors. It was an overcast and nippy morning here today and the team practised on three side wickets, very close to the main square.
Dhoni said that the overcast conditions are tempting enough to play four seamers, but “we will not go that way because the result can go against us and then I will be blamed.”
The skipper reckoned that the Oval wicket will assist spin and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will have a role to play for sure. Between Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina, the spinners bowled 21 overs among themselves in the first match against South Africa in Cardiff.
India won by 26 runs with pacer Umesh Yadav taking 4/75.
“This Oval wicket is a used one. There is a bit of grass and there will be a bit of bounce too. The fast bowlers will get some assist but since this is an old wicket, there will be spin as well,” Dhoni said.
Dhoni singled out Chris Gayle as the dangerman in the West Indian camp.
“We have to take him out before he takes us out. The Gayle factor will always be there. He is a dangerous individual and we will have to get him early,” he said.
Stating the match against the West Indies will be “interesting”, the Indian skipper said the team that adapts best to the conditions will prevail.
“You need some basic planning but you need to adapt along the way,” Dhoni added.
Dhoni indicated that Yadav will play a key role in Tuesday’s game.
“But he has to think better and learn a lot. With exposure he will get better and that’s what international cricket is all about,” the skipper said.
Meanwhile, West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was suspended on Monday for two ODIs and also fined 100 per cent of his match fee after he was found guilty of conduct contrary to the spirit of the game in an ICC hearing.
The decision means that Ramdin will miss Tuesday’s clash against India and June 14 fixture against South Africa. Ramdin was charged with wrongly claiming a catch of Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq in their first match of the tournament.
Ramdin had pleaded not guilty to the offence and appeared in an ICC hearing, where match referee Chris Board found him guilty.
Broad, explaining his decision, said, “This is regarded as a serious offence as it is the responsibility of all players to act in the spirit of the game.”
Players found guilty of a Level 2 offence at a hearing have a right to appeal the decision to a Judicial Commissioner, within 24 hours of receipt of that decision.
Pending the outcome of the appeal, the sanction imposed will apply.
West Indies coach Ottis Gibson said the team’s IPL stars are expected to provide “intelligence” on the Indian players in their team meeting as he admitted that the inputs will play a crucial factor for the Windies.
“Our players, Dwayne (Bravo), Chris (Gayle), (Kieron) Pollard especially and Sunil Narine have been starring in the IPL, so hopefully they’ve got a lot of information to share when we get back this evening,” said Gibson. (PTI)