Dhoni banter at ODI shield presentation

As MS Dhoni received the ICC ODI Championship Shield and a cheque of US$175,000 at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, a few of his team-mates - including Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja - standing on the balcony outside the dressing room gave their captain a standing ovation. Receiving the award from David Morgan, the former ICC president and current Glamorgan president, Dhoni made a witty remark: "They are clapping for their share."

And when the time came to sign off, Dhoni checked with the ICC official as to whether he could keep the shield or should hand it over to the BCCI. "Yeh mera hain, ya BCCI ka (Is this mine or should it go to BCCI)?" Dhoni asked with a smile.

Dhoni's casual banter seemed strange, given the atmosphere that is currently enveloping Indian cricket in the wake of the tumultuous events of the past three weeks. Dhoni had remained silent on the alleged corruption before he flew out from India and immediately after he landed in England. Today was no different, as the Indian players maintained a safe distance while passing the small group of media at the ground.

Irfan Pathan, after finishing an interview with the tournament broadcaster, innocently walked towards the small media contingent gathered nearby. But to his and everyone's surprise, the Indian media manager told him that he would not be speaking to the media. It was a farcical moment, which caught both the player as well as the media off guard.

According to the tournament rules, though it is not mandatory for teams to field a player for media interaction, teams like Australia and West Indies have allowed a player on non-match and non-preview days to speak to the media. On Monday, Australian batsman Adam Voges spoke, the previous day his team-mate Mitchell Starc had had a chat.

In contrast, the Indian board has instructed the team management to keep a tight check on their players' activities. Being around the players, you can sense their reluctance to talk freely. On Saturday, after India had got the better of Sri Lanka in Birmingham in their first warm-up match, Dinesh Kartik was asked to give his opinion on the DRS. Kartik checked with the media manager if it was okay for him to respond, before he said something.

This cautious approach by the Indian management is not new, considering they have kept media interactions in the last couple of years to the bare minimum. However, given the low point that Indian cricket is passing through, the very least the fans can expect is some open and honest chatter from the players. Even funny remarks like the one Dhoni made could allow them to retain the faith.