The former captain wasn’t quite been able to live up to the full potential in the tournament so far, either with the bat or behind the stumps. Dhoni’s slow knock in the death overs had raised a lot of criticism on his credibility. And some suggested him to call time on his career after the conclusion of the World Cup. But now, breaking his silence for the first time, the veteran wicket-keeper took a jib at the critics by saying that lot of them wanted him to retire before Sri Lanka game, which was a totally churlish act.
Dhoni breaks his silence
On Friday before the match against Sri Lanka in Leeds, MS Dhoni was asked by an Indian reporter about rumors being spread about his retirement from the game. Responding to the question, he said that he has not yet decided when to hang his boots, but he knows that some people want him to quit before India’s final league fixture against Sri Lanka.
“I don’t know when I will retire from cricket, some people want me to retire before next match against Sri Lanka. Until I am playing good cricket on the field, I don’t think I should need to make such decisions ” Dhoni said to the ABP news. Source
Dhoni’s criticism, not from his teammates
Dhoni’s statement confirms that his indication was not towards any member of the team nor the coaching staff, but it could be the media. Previously, Former India cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were disappointed for Dhoni’s unusual conduct of play in the match against England, which India lost by 31 runs.
But despite criticism, India’s team management including captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma came out to support the veteran player and said that Dhoni is an important player in the squad and they are lucky to have them in the team.
Surprisingly, Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga backed Dhoni ahead of the India vs Sri Lanka World Cup match saying that the former India captain should play for another two-three years more.
“I think MS (Dhoni) should play for another one or two years. He is the best finisher in the last 10 years. I don’t think anyone can beat him in the future. He has to give his experience and situation handling to all the young players. They (India) have good experience in past captain, MS Dhoni. I think that’s why they are a successful team. I think they are good enough to beat any team in this competition,” Malinga told ANI.
