Finisher Dhoni best suited in lower middle order: Suresh Raina

Agencies
March 6, 2019

Mumbai, Mar 6: Mahendra Singh Dhoni's finishing skills remain unmatched and the former captain will be an asset in India's lower middle order at this year's World Cup, former teammate Suresh Raina said.

The sight of Dhoni depositing Sri Lanka seamer Nuwan Kulasekara into the Wankhede Stadium stands to seal victory in the 2011 World Cup final is etched in the memory of most Indians.

No target was deemed out of reach with the hard-hitting right-hander at the crease but that clean striking and fluid swing of the heavy bat are rare these days and many believe Dhoni is no more the finisher that he was before.

His sharp glovework makes Dhoni India's first choice wicketkeeper in limited-overs cricket but his batting position for the World Cup, when he will be 38, continues to be debated.

"For MS, the ideal position would be number five or six," Raina, who is an integral part of the Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings side in the Indian Premier League, said.

"He is such a keen reader of the game and brings years of experience. When required he can build up an innings and his finishing skills are unmatched."

Dhoni has played 340 ODIs for India and scored more than 10,000 runs at an average of just under 51. His role as a finisher is crucial for India's World Cup campaign with the team's number four batting position still to be sealed.

That has led to suggestions that captain Virat Kohli, also the team's best batsman, should bat a place lower than his usual number three spot.

"I think number three or four should be good (for Kohli)," Raina, a member of India's 2011 World Cup team, said. "If the top order topples quickly, we need someone like Kohli to keep it together."

Raina believes top-ranked England will be a strong contender with their home advantage while India, Australia, West Indies and New Zealand are the other teams to watch out for.

"For me the most balanced team will win the World Cup," the 32-year-old said. "English conditions are helpful for the seamers but in the recent years we have seen spinners also do well.

"Last year when I was playing against Ireland and England, our wrist spinners did really well. Team India is shaping up really well in this regard, a healthy mix of youth and experience.

"And a pace attack that is bowling beautifully in all conditions. No grey areas as such."

Once considered an automatic selection in India's limited-overs sides, Raina played the last of his 226 one-dayers in July, 2018.

An aggressive left-handed batsman and a part-time off-spinner, Raina is also known for his electric fielding and the all-rounder still harbours hopes of making the World Cup squad.

The IPL, which starts later this month, will be his last opportunity to impress the selectors before the World Cup kicks off on May 30.

"I have a mix of activities that I do, I am currently doing a lot of high intensity workouts in the gym, followed by strength and conditioning sessions," the IPL's leading run-scorer said.

"I'm at the nets three-four times a week. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (India's domestic Twenty20 competition) has given me some match practise before the IPL.

"As an Indian player my job is to work hard and hope for the best."

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said the Women's IPL or the Challenger series, as it is better known, is "very much on", ending speculation about the parent body not having a plan for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team.

The men's IPL will be held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date yet to be locked in) in the UAE due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in India. The women's IPL will also be fit in to the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.

"I can confirm to you that the women's IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also," Ganguly told PTI ahead of the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.

The BCCI president, who is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on waiver of the cooling-off period to continue in the position, did not divulge details but another senior official privy to the development said that women's Challenger will be held during the last phase of IPL like last year.

"The women's Challenger series is likely to be held between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that," the source said.

The former India captain also said that the centrally contracted women players will have a camp which has been delayed due to the prevailing situation in the country.

"We couldn't have exposed any of our cricketers -- be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous," Ganguly said.

"The NCA also remained shut because of Covid-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that," he added.

The BCCI's cricket operations team is chalking up a schedule where Indian women are likely to have two full-fledged white-ball series against South Africa and the West Indies before playing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand. 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
March 26,2020

Karachi, Mar 26: Pakistan's centrally-contracted cricketers will contribute Rs 5 million to the national government's emergency fund to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ehsan Mani on Wednesday said apart from centrally-contracted players contributing Rs 5 million, the employees in the board, up to the senior manager level, will contribute their one day's salary.

Those employed as general managers or on higher posts will give two days' salary to the fund.

"The PCB will collect all these funds and deposit it to the government's coronavirus fund," he said.

Pakistan has recorded more than 1,000 positive cases of the deadly virus, which has claimed more than 19,000 lives all over the world.

"It is the history of the cricket board that we always stand by the government in difficult times," Mani said.

The PCB has already given its high performances centre in Karachi at the national stadium to be used by paramedical staff working at the special coronavirus hospital set up at the expo centre in the in the city.

Mani said though cricket has been disrupted by the virus outbreak but it was far more important for the nation to stand by the government and also take all precautionary steps during the pandemic.

Pakistan's centrally-contracted players are entitled to monthly salaries ranging from Rs 5 to 12 lakh besides match fee and other earnings.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
April 25,2020

London, Apr 25: Former Australian cricketer Graeme Watson who was fighting cancer, has died at the age of 75.

Primarily a middle-order batsman and a medium-pace bowler, he featured in five Tests from 1967 to 1972 and two ODIs in 1972, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The all-rounder earned the national call during the 1966-67 tour of Rhodesia and South Africa. Watson slammed a half-century in the first innings of the second Test of the series.

However, the medium-pace bowler was ruled of the next test after suffering an ankle injury. He returned for the fourth Test in Johannesburg where scalped his career-best 2 for 67 but failed to leave a mark with the bat as Kangaroos lost the series.

In 1971-72 he moved to Western Australia and played a major role in their Sheffield-Shield win in 1971-72, 1972-73, and 1974-75 seasons.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.