MS Dhoni Deserves Every Chance Of Playing In The Next World Cup: Mike Hussey
Aug 13, 2017 at 11:52 AM
Former Australia and Chennai Super Kings star, Mike Hussey, feels Mahendra Singh Dhoni deserves to bow out of the game on his own terms.
Dhoni has been under pressure to deliver for quite some time now. After an indifferent outing with the bat in 2016, the World Cup-winning skipper began 2017 with a majestic 134-run knock against England but has not managed to replicate the same performance thereafter. With the next World Cup just a couple of years away, several former cricketers including Rahul Dravid has urged the team management to assess the Dhoni’s role along with another veteran Yuvraj Singh who too has looked off-colour in recent times.
After an inconsistent performance in the Indian Premier League, Dhoni did not get much chance to bat in the Champions Trophy but critics came out blazing once again when he played the 114-ball 54 runs knock in the fourth game during the five-match ODI series against West India.
And with calls of dropping an under-performing Dhoni from the side elevating, Hussey has leapt into the 35-year old’s defence and has said that India’s most decorated skipper should bow out of the game on his own terms. Hussey, who played under Dhoni’s captaincy in the IPL, said that Dhoni deserves every chance of playing the next World Cup.
“He has done so much for cricket in this country. If he believes he can play the next World Cup, who is to doubt him? He is a very modest and honest man. So he will be honest with himself. If he thinks that he cannot contribute to the team and help India win the World Cup, I don’t think he will be there. But if he believes in his heart that he can contribute to the team’s success and be a positive influence on the team, he deserves every chance of playing in the next World Cup,” said Hussey.
“He knows his game and he looks after his body well. With the advancement in sports science, cricketers can play a lot longer. You can see the players performing well in their late 30s also,” added Hussey who himself enjoyed his most fruitful time of the career in the 30s.