Don't forget MS Dhoni's record in Indian cricket: Shahid Afridi

June 27, 2015

Kolkata, Jun 27: Mahendra Singh Dhoni may have faced lot of flak for his team's embarrassing ODI series defeat against Bangladesh but Pakistan T20I captain Shahid Afridi is "not happy" in the manner the Indian ODI skipper was being targeted.

Afridi termed this as "sub-continental trend" where the cricketing heroes are pilloried after one odd series defeat.

afridi"I really felt bad in the way MS (Dhoni) has been treated after Bangladesh series defeat. I completely think it's a sub-continental trend where our heroes are not spared after one bad defeat. The media is also responsible for not painting the true picture at times," Afridi said during an interaction.

Afridi could empathizes more with Dhoni as he has also faced criticism over the years in his own country.

"I am not saying that one should not analyse the present performance of a leader or a player. Criticise him but when you do that please don't forget to also inform the world about the past. When you look at Dhoni, just look at his record before jumping to any conclusions. He has been such a tremendous player for India. His record speaks for itself," said Afridi.

The swashbuckling batsman also credited Dhoni for building a good Indian team for future.

"Dhoni has built such a good team for the future. There is so much quality and talent in that batting line-up," he said.

Afridi, who now only plays T20 format for Pakistan, also sounded positive about Pakistan's bench strength.

"Pakistan cricket's domestic structure has improved a lot in recent years. That is why we are now having a good supply line of youngsters in the national team. This team will only grow from strength to strength in coming days," observed the 35-year-old.

Afridi quit playing ODIs after World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with a record 398 ODIs. Asked if he regrets not reaching the coveted 400 ODIs milestone, he replied: "Not at all. In fact I am grateful to Almighty Allah (God) that I have got the opportunity to play for Pakistan for such a long time.

"I am very happy to play T20 for Pakistan and would like to play the World T20 in India, next year," Afridi said.

The hard-hitting batsman also said that plying his trade in T20 leagues across the world is his way of staying fit for competitions.

"I have played in Big Bash in Australia and now I will be playing for St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). In all these tournaments, you play with some of the top international cricketers in the world and you know you will have to be at your best to compete with them," said Afridi.

While signing off, Afridi said that "India's co-operation will be needed" to resume full-time cricket in Pakistan.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Jan 6: Former India opener Kris Srikkanth on Sunday said he would prefer K L Rahul over Shikhar Dhawan in the T20 World Cup later this year.

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth on Sunday said he would prefer K L Rahul over Shikhar Dhawan in the T20 World Cup later this year.

Dhawan is returning to international cricket after a long gap. During the senior left-handed batsman's absence, Rahul has emerged as one of the top contenders for the opener's slot in limited-overs cricket.

"Runs against SL (Sri Lanka) don't count. If I was chairman of selectors, I won't pick Dhawan in the T20 WC squad. There is no competition between him and Rahul. Only one winner," Srikkanth said on Star Sports.

Before the series, the 34-year-old Dhawan said that he is looking forward to a "new start" in a new year and wants to win the World Cup for India.

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June 13,2020

New Delhi, Jun 13: West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has said that wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni is the biggest superstar in cricket and is one of the easiest guys to interact with.

Bravo was doing an Instagram live chat with former Zimbabwe pacer Pommie Mbangwa and it was then that the all-rounder was asked to talk about his stint with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

"I think a lot of credit for CSK's success has to be given to Dhoni and Fleming, obviously the owners, they trust both Fleming and Dhoni, so there is no outside interference when it comes to decision making, both are very big students of the game, players love MS and it's an environment and franchise that allows you to be you," Bravo told Mbangwa during the chat.

"MS Dhoni is the biggest superstar in cricket and in our team. He was one of the easiest people to interact with, outside of the cricket field, he is like playing video games, his door is open at all times, whenever you talk about the biggest superstar and then you think a person like Dhoni is the most humble of them all. CSK is a special team and we have the most loyal fans," he added.

Bravo has been with the CSK since 2011. He has played a total of 104 matches for the franchise, picking up 121 wickets.

The all-rounder has also managed to win the Purple Cap (most wickets in IPL) two times (2013 and 2015).

CSK has won the IPL thrice (2010, 2011 and 2018) and all the titles have come under the leadership of MS Dhoni.

Thirty-eight-year-old Dhoni has been currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup.

Dhoni had to face criticism for his slow batting approach during India's matches in the high-profile game.

This year, Dhoni did not find a place for himself in the BCCI's centrally contracted players list.

The board had released the list of central contract list of players for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

Dhoni is the only captain to win all major ICC trophies (50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy).

Under his leadership, India also managed to attain the number one ranking in Test cricket.

He would have been leading the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) if the Indian Premier League (IPL) had commenced from March 29.

However, the tournament has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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News Network
June 30,2020

Malabar, Jun 30: I-League club Gokulam Kerala's former assistant manager Muhammad Alloush on Monday died due to COVID-19. He was 44.

Alloush, who was with the football club in its inaugural season, was working as technical director at Egyptian club Tanta SC at the time of his demise.

Alloush's mother had also succumbed due to the deadly virus earlier.

"We're deeply saddened by the death of our former assistant manager Muhammad Alloush, aged 44, after contracting Covid_19. The thoughts of everybody at Gokulam Kerala Football Club are with Alloush's family and friends at this sad time. Rest in peace, Alloush," Gokulam Kerala FC tweeted.

Meanwhile, with a spike of 18,522 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus count stands at 5,66,840, said the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry, 418 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours. The number of deaths in the country now stands at 16,893.

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