Boycott feels that it is unfair to solely blame Dhoni for India’s slide
Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott believes India would be a “very average” side if they did not have captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni controlling things and giving them boosts with the bat lower down the order.
Boycott also defended Dhoni’s record over the past 18 months, saying that the “lack of quality in the side” has made it tough for him to win abroad and at home.
“Do you judge captains on their win and loss ratio, or do you take into account or consideration the quality, or lack of quality, in his team?” Boycott told ESPNcricinfo. “If you’re thinking about India, there’s a lack of quality at the moment, lack of quality seam bowling, lack of quality spin bowling, and in some cases your best players are beginning to retire after getting past their sell-by date. Aren’t they?
“(Rahul)Dravid and (VVS) Laxman are gone, (Sachin) Tendulkar hasn’t got any runs recently, so is it his [Dhoni’s] fault? I don’t think so. I don’t judge people on the loss and win ratio of the team. You have to look at the team. You are damn lucky you’ve got MS Dhoni.”
Dhoni has come under severe criticism after losing to England in a four-Test series on home soil, but Boycott once again came to the Indian captain’s rescue, stating that there was only so much he could do and added that India just don’t have any replacements to call upon.
“I think he is a brilliant one-day captain,” Boycott said. “Like a lot of people, I think he has good leadership skills of the players but, tactically, in Test matches, there’s quite a bit to be desired. But you haven’t got anybody else you can call upon.
“A nice set of lads, but in terms of other quality sides around the world, you are very average and you are not going to win with average teams. And the captains always get blamed. Captains tend to get plaudits when the team wins, which I think is unfair.”
Boycott also mentioned that Dhoni is not solely responsible for India’s slide since the team are currently going through a very turbulent transitional phase.
“The captain always gets the blame when you lose,” Boycott added. “It’s like in the war, losing generals always got the sack. It’s like that with Dhoni; because India have hit a sticky situation, with some of the best players retiring or getting to the end of their careers…Zaheer Khan’s gone, Harbhajan’s gone, Dravid and Laxman have gone, Sachin is towards the end of his career.
“It’s very difficult to replace players like that with young kids and do well, and Dhoni’s getting the flak for it, he’s getting the blame. I don’t think it’s Dhoni’s fault. So you’ve to be careful about blaming people for the lack of quality in the side.”
Talking about India’s long-time opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, Boycott noted that Sehwag was lucky to have kept his spot on the national roster for this long, while Gambhir deserved to be dropped for the upcoming four-Test series against Australia.
“Sehwag is lucky to be in the team, really,” Boycott said. “He’s an explosive, fascinating, unpredictable, brilliant batsman, absolutely keeps you on the edge of your seats. But, I’m afraid, father time comes to everybody, and he’s getting towards the end.
“And Gambhir, he seems to have played so much one-day cricket that his technique has suffered, he’s getting himself out, I don’t think he’s the force as a player as he once was.
“As a batsman, he is still a good player, but his technique has suffered, I’ve watched his footwork and everything. He’s making mistakes himself so it’s not going to help putting himself forward as a captain, as a Test player who can be certain of his place in the side.”
While youngster Virat Kohli has been widely tipped to be India’s next Test captain, Boycott feels as if the flamboyant batsman still has a long way to go before he is ready to take over the reigns.
“He’s too much of a firebrand and all,” Boycott added. “You want his passion, you want his emotion, you definitely want that from your players but, I’m sorry, you want a cool head at times. That’s what Dhoni has and Kohli hasn’t got a cool head.
“He’s got aggression, passion, emotion, they are all plusses. On the negative side, he loses his cool, you can’t have the captain losing his cool. He is the one person.
“He might be on fire in the heart, but the head has to stay cool, because he’s got to think of the team, not himself, eleven players, not himself. Kohli has got a bit to learn yet.”