IPL parties pooped us: Dhoni's bouncer leaves board fuming

xXx

It's a subject that was raised last year by Team India's coach Gary Kirsten, to no avail. It's a question that was repeatedly put to skipper MS Dhoni before the T20 World Cup began, and he answered dismissively each time.

But as he analyzed yet another T20 debacle, Dhoni finally reverted to his usual candour, admitting that the Indian Premier League (IPL) had taken a toll on the team. It immediately triggered a raging debate that left BCCI bosses seething.

"The IPL is not just about cricket," Dhoni said, towards the end of his press conference in St Lucia. "There are lots of things going around it," he added, as a sudden hush descended on the hall.

"The players have to respect the body, give it time to recover. There have been day-night matches, then parties, and early morning flights too. All this, including the travel, takes a toll. But if you are smart, I don't think 45 days of cricket will drain you," he said.

Dhoni said a lot more, but this was the part that raised a storm in India. Murmurs began doing the rounds about how a vindictive BCCI might be thinking of a change of guard - that is, axe Dhoni when he is down following Team India's debacle and his own tactical blunders.

Many wondered why Dhoni chose to make the point now, rather than earlier. Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin lashed out at him, saying, "Excuses like these cannot be given after you lose. Obviously, if you stay up the whole night, it would affect you. Players should be responsible enough. The game is more important than the parties. For a player, cricket should come first and everything else is secondary."

Former chief selector Syed Kirmani said, "There was complete lack of application and concentration from Indian players and they cannot complain of fatigue after crashing out." Former India coach Madan Lal too criticised Dhoni. "Who was forcing them (players) to attend these IPL parties? They could have said ‘no'. I don't think they should say all this. These are silly excuses. The fact is they had gone there to win the World Cup and they just weren't good enough."

Actually, the point about players being "free to say no" to the parties isn't quite accurate. BCCI officials insisted that there was no stipulation in the players' contracts that it was compulsory for them to attend the parties. But players told TOI, on condition of anonymity, that they felt under pressure from the team owners as well as IPL bosses to attend the after-match parties, for which the league had struck a commercial deal with a television channel. Besides, the team owners too found it a perfect opportunity to wine and dine their friends in the company of cricketers.

Of course, it wasn't exactly a hardship for the players - in fact, the abundant beauties and booze present made them an irresistible draw for many. But some who didn't like the distraction didn't dare voice their objection. Only very senior legends like Sachin Tendulkar felt confident enough to stay away.

The BCCI, though, chose to be blase as ever. Spokesman Rajiv Shukla said the team had failed to perform as per expectations, but also refused to blame player fatigue. "The international calendar is always very hectic. There are back-to-back matches, back-to-back tournaments. Now also two-three tournaments are lined up. So, we really cannot say that (fatigue) is the main reason," he said.

"Apart from that, we have enlarged our players' bank. So when any player feels fatigue, BCCI has already told them to take leave and take the selectors into confidence. Then there will be the replacements. I don't think that's a vital reason," he said, choosing to overlook the fact that a player may not dare to risk his spot in the national team by incurring the wrath of the board and selectors.

Shukla said the board was waiting for the team management's report "before we can take some corrective actions to make sure that we perform well in the future". When asked about Dhoni's observations about IPL party nights, he said: "It is a good point. The BCCI president (Shashank Manohar) has also said that from next season all such parties will be stopped. Players will have to learn how to take care of their body."

Of course, that decision may not be inspired so much by concern for the players as the fact that the after-match parties are a remnant of Lalit Modi's reign at IPL. But for now, perhaps cricket fans can only be grateful that - as Dhoni pointed out - the 50-overs World Cup will take place before and not after the IPL next year.

Popkatapetapotapultis

Dhoni's lame excuses

not expected from him

xXx

^see there's nothing wrong in giving excuses, but if the mistake is repeated...there is some problem

_sultaan_

^ very true

Dhoni now should stop giving these stupid excuses and stop defending IPL,
and start concentrating on 2011 W'cup preparations
lot more has to be done still in bowling department, batting order and fielding as well !!!

This is SRT's last dream i guess is to win w'cup for india, he is smart, he might have been started to preparing for this already, but he alone cant win it for india
so Dhoni(

) should sit with SRT and start planning for it from now on ...

xXx

^hmm...I guess SRT can guide Dhoni in achieving it, but the decision lies in the hands of captain.

BCCI should start preparing for WC 2011....nothing more nothing else....give all the youngsters a try in upcoming games, no matter if we lose few games, as we would be experimenting with the new boys

Safin

This was Mr Dhoni after his stellar knowck against Kings XI at Dharmshala in the crucial make or break IPL match.

Your franchises, they pay such an amount of money for you. So at least you are supposed to qualify for the semi-finals

As was said by most cricket commentators on Times Now yesterday night, if money means so much to him, and just because he gets so much that he is "supposed"

to reach semi finals; where does he place the country?

The fellow and his team mates have lost the pride when it comes to play for India. Thats what happens when you make getting into Indian team so easy and when you don't drop the losers who don't do well.

That quote is so lame that i am aghast that Dhoni actually said that. And even more now seeing the performance his team dished out when playing for India.

xXx

Parties didn't affect overseas IPL players

India’s captain MS Dhoni has been giving lame excuses for India’s debacle in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. Of the various reasons he has picked out ‘fatigue’ as the main cause for the exit from the ICC tournament.

“Late night matches, partying after that and travelling the next day without rest must have taken a toll on a players,” said Dhoni on Tuesday. Moreover how did the Sri Lankans, Jayawardene, Malinga, Dilshan, Sangakkara all who featured in the IPL manage to remain fresh and take their side to the last four of the tournament.

All the Australians who were part of the IPL have done well without any complains. If Dhoni wants the public to believe that players party only during the IPL he must be kidding. It is a well known fact that the ‘core’ players in the Indian team are party animals and frequent the discotheque at the team hotel or nearby one on all match days which ever the city be. As long as the team was performing no one was bothered about off the field activities.

The reason for India’s exit from the T20 World Cup was poor performance, paucity of ideas and finally law of averages caught up. In T20 results can be predicted to a certain extent on how openers fare in the first six overs. With Sehwag out due to injury and Gambhir too out of form India struggled to get a good start in most of the games. Vijay may have fared well in IPL but International cricket is different ball game and he was easily sorted out.

The middle order barring Raina failed to deliver on most occasions. The quality of most attacks was much better. Australian and Sri Lanka bowlers bowled with a plan and purpose and thus could stifle the famed Indian batting line-up.

Yuvraj’s continued lack of form and Yusuf’s inconsistency added to the woes. The bowling least said the better. Zaheer and co lost their spunk and in T20 there are no comebacks.

Dhoni’s famed thinking cap was sadly missing. All his moves were predictable. To compensate for an out of form Yuvraj he could have sent Yusuf ahead in the game against Sri Lanka. Moreover when Vijay was struggling he could have experimented in sending Yusuf to open. Then again on fast tracks like Barbados he opted for more spinners. The Indian batsmen peaked early during the IPL and thus got caught in the law of averages.

xXx

@safin....this was bound to happen....and hence I can say somewhat it has justified my hate for him....

Safin

Originally Posted by xXx

@safin....this was bound to happen....and hence I can say somewhat it has justified my hate for him....

Well, he is a good guy, but that was a terrible statement to make.
You cannot blame Dhoni alone for the debacle. I think the person who should be dropped is Yuvraj. Along with Jadeja and Vijay.

@How other players did well even though they partied hard too. Well thats not a valid argument. Thats like asking a kid, why you scored marks when you never really studied before the exams. Every guy is different. In the case of Indian cricketers, the distractions are even more. All the girls and actresses are out there to hit on them, not overseas players. Parties is one thing, what he is trying to allude to is also what happens post parties

xXx

^post party...that is the main exhaustive bi-product of the party

b/w yeah its not valid argument, but IMO he is right too, BCCI never had control over players, as other Cricketing Boards have...