Sandeep Dwivedi
Indian Express

•  Dhoni took charge of a team with three former captains, Azhar had more.

New Delhi, Oct 7: It’s the final over of the Twenty20 World Cup semi-final against Australia and skipper MS Dhoni calls for an urgent mid-field conference as he, along with his deputy Yuvraj Singh and a few seniors, goes into a huddle. Harbhajan Singh speaks about Virender Sehwag’s big match experience and suggests Dhoni to throw the ball to the part-time offie. But at the end of the long deliberation, it is rookie medium pacer Joginder Sharma who very famously bowls the crucial over and takes India into the final.

Within days he is back on the field as an ODI captain and the huddle has suddenly got a halo over it. That’s what happens when one adds three former skippers and over 1000 ODIs to the collective experience of the eleven men on the field. The advisory panel on the field no longer comprises of subdued seniors trying to make a comeback but sacred stalwarts who are used to passing orders.

The veto that Dhoni so nonchalantly passed as a skipper during the Twenty20 World Cup might require reconsideration, rethink or even outright rejection in the ODIs against Australia. Tongues have already wagged about the influential incumbent in a team that has Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. They say Irfan Pathan’s elevation in the batting line-up in the Bangalore match and the decision to field first at the ‘iffy’ Kochi game had a hint of familiarity and reminded one of mindsets that ruled the team in the past.

Intrigue will always be part of teams with ex-skippers, and the present scenario isn’t new to Indian cricket. The end of the 80s saw the grand launch of the team of the 90s. An unsuspecting Mohammad Azharuddin got a tap on the shoulder and an offer to lead a team that had former skippers like Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri and Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

To understand the team mechanics and dressing room atmosphere of the present team, one spoke to several coaches and players who were part of the last significant power shift in Indian cricket — the men who saw closely the new-captain-on-the-block Azhar’s Daddy’s Army. While there was a consensus that Dhoni isn’t as naive as Azhar, at the same they all agreed that it isn’t easy for a captain to keep the flock together and assert himself when those around him include commoners who were kings once.

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi was the cricket manager when Azhar took charge and he recalls those early uncomfortable days for the young captain — something similar to Dhoni’s present predicament. “I made an extra effort to protect him. He was quite naive then. I think Dhoni too needs to be protected. The BCCI has a tendency to let the captain be on his own after appointing him. They tend to throw him at the deep end and let him fend for himself,” says Bedi, as he also suggests a few things that could make Dhoni’s life easier. “There should be a media manager and administrative manager with the team. These might seem minor issues, but they are those that will play a big role in helping Dhoni concentrate on his game and captaincy. Look at the Aussies. They don’t just groom their captains but shield them too.”

After Bedi’s exit, former Test player Abbas Ali Baig took charge as cricket manager and he went on to watch closely the dynamics of Team India on its tour to Australia before the 1992 World Cup. It was this tour that saw Azhar taking some tough decisions. Vengsarkar, Shastri and Srikkanth — in the final stages of their careers — were dropped for games as they struggled to find form. Baig talks about the tense dressing room atmosphere and the fears Azhar faced in the company of stalwarts.

“Things were not easy for him. He always had to look over his shoulder when it came to his seniors. There were people in the dressing room who still had hopes that they would be reinstated as captain. And that made things a bit complex,” he says.

Ask him if Dhoni might have the same kind of fears and Baig vehemently gives a big no. “Right now the scene is different. Sachin could end up being Test captain. Rahul doesn’t want to be a skipper anymore and it would too much for Ganguly to expect that he will be the captain again. Besides, the present seniors in the team are much more mature and I don’t think they would make things difficult for Dhoni,” he says.

Baig doesn’t just speak highly about the present day Big Three but also thinks that Dhoni is better equipped to deal with the pressure of captaincy in the early days. “It all depends on the outlook of a person. It depends on the personality of an individual, the temperament and maturity. Dhoni has all these qualities in abundance and I think he can imbibe a lot from the seniors. All he needs is space and I have no doubt he will have his unique style of captaincy.”

Bedi points out a big difference between Dhoni and Azhar. “Azhar was a shy person while Dhoni is different. Despite being from a small town, Dhoni is naturally extrovert and much more confident,” he said. Former chairman of national selectors Kiran More played under Azhar during those turbulent times in Indian cricket and recalls the tour of England in 1990. “Communication was not Azhar’s strong point. And during those days the support staff was a bare minimum, so team meetings at times were a bit uncomfortable. These days the support staff is strong and that makes things easier for Dhoni,” says More.

Bedi too is of the opinion that things will work for Dhoni only if he gets total support from the team management. The vital decisions that concern the former captains in the team shouldn’t be left to Dhoni. “When it comes to tough decisions, it is the coach and the chairman of selectors who should own up,” he says. What he means is, in case Tendulkar is rested or Ganguly is dropped, the young captain shouldn’t be burdened with an explanation.