The Hindu : Sport : Dhoni speaks his mind

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Friday, Sep 01, 2006

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Dhoni speaks his mind

Special Correspondent

PHOTO: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

M.S. Dhoni.

Chennai: Much like his cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's answers were sharp, precise and punchy. The dashing Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, in the city on a promotional tour, addressed the media here on Thursday.

Talking about Rahul Dravid's captaincy, Dhoni said, "He encourages us to speak our mind during the team meetings. Even the youngsters are told by him not to hold anything back. This has helped the cricketers evolve."

On India's preparation for the World Cup, he said, "The days ahead will be tough since we will be playing back-to-back tournaments and series, the tri-series in Malaysia, followed by the Champions Trophy and the tour of South Africa. The more matches we play ahead of the World Cup, the better it is for us."

Turning his attention to the experiments carried out by the team management, he said, "The idea is to have the right combination for the World Cup. That is why we need to try the different options now. We cannot experiment in the World Cup."

The aggressive cricketer added, "My role is different at different batting slots. I play according to the needs of the team and the situation."

Dwelling on the nature of the wickets for the World Cup in the Caribbean, Dhoni pointed out, "You see, even in India we have pitches that are slow, but they are different from the ones in West Indies.

"Probably it has to do with the variable bounce. We have simulated the conditions and the wickets that we might encounter in West Indies at the camp."

Asked about the phased manner in which the camp for the Indian cricketers in Bangalore is being conducted, he replied, "It is good for the cricketers. In smaller batches we will get individual attention."

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