Margao, Oct. 23: The usually effervescent Mahendra Singh Dhoni was guarded when asked about the cricket control board’s decision to send the senior players to South Africa earlier than scheduled to get acclimatised to the conditions.
It was surprising that the India skipper evaded the question more than once on Saturday, even as the board has been vocal about it. “We have not done anything like that as of now,” said Dhoni, when asked if the senior players had sought rest after New Zealand Test series, staring on November 4.
The South Africa sojourn, which consists of three Tests, five one-dayers and one T20 is set to begin from December 16 and the board is thought to have acceded to coach Gary Kirsten’s request to send the senior players early. But Dhoni had a different spin to it.
“As of now no confirmation has been sent from the players’ side to the BCCI and nothing has been received from the BCCI,” Dhoni said.
The skipper, in fact chose to look ahead to Sunday’s third ODI against Australia. “I think tomorrow’s game is more important rather than thinking about what we are supposed to do after the New Zealand Test series,” he said.
“As I always say, I don’t think too much about the future. What will be important is utilising four-five days break that we have got and then concentrate on the Test series. And after that in between we will get some time to see what can be done,” he said.
Dhoni has in the past expressed concern over India’s bowling in the death and he was once again worried by it, with the World Cup looming in the sub-continent. In the second ODI against Australia, India leaked 114 runs in the last 10 overs, of which 84 came in the last five with pacers Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar taken to the cleaners by Cameron White.