How do we protect Dhoni?
MS Dhoni is the most overworked cricketer in the country and the selection committee should seriously think about protecting him, writes Suresh Menon on espnstar.com .
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
MS Dhoni is the most overworked cricketer in the country and the selection committee should seriously think about protecting him, writes Suresh Menon on espnstar.com.
Protect him from the excessive physical and mental demands so that he is at the top of his game for longer than his workload might indicate? To keep wickets is a full-time, nerve-wracking job; to lead a side, ditto; to be one of the main batsmen with responsibilities to control the innings, ditto. And Dhoni does the job of three men in three different formats of the game while maintaining one of the coolest responses to victory and defeat by any captain.
He didn’t burst into tears when India were thrashed in England (at least one international captain in recent memory walked off centre stage in tears), he didn’t suggest it was the end of the world. Such self-control is both awe-inspiring and frankly, a bit worrying. How does this man let off steam?
Akhila Ranganna is assistant editor (Audio) at ESPNcricinfo