Dhoni ruled out of Asia Cup
22 Feb 2014 4:57 AM IST
‘MS Dhoni has been ruled out of the forthcoming Asia Cup, to be played in Bangladesh, in February-March 2014. He sustained a Grade I left side-strain injury during the course of the second Test against New Zealand. He will be undergoing rehabilitation for ten days,’ Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.
Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Kartik has been picked as Dhoni’s replacement. Kohli has been India’s standout batsman in recent years, stamping his mark in almost every overseas tour with impressive knocks. India will join arch-rivals Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and debutants Afghanistan in the tournament that will start on February 25 and run until March 8.
India will begin their campaign with a match against Sri Lanka on February 28, before locking horns with Pakistan on March 2. Dhoni’s captaincy has been a subject of intense criticism following India’s 0-1 defeat in the two-match Test series in New Zealand. While former India skipper Sourav Ganguly called Dhoni’s captaincy ‘obnoxious’, Rahul Dravid termed it defensive.
India have lost their last four series abroad starting with the 4-0 rout suffered in England and ending with the loss to New Zealand on Tuesday. Away from home, Dhoni has captained India in 23 Tests, out of which they have won five, lost 11 and drawn seven Tests.
Any team can win Asia Cup, says Akram
LAHORE: Pakistan’s bowling coach Muhammad Akram said the upcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh will be a tough assignment for all teams and not just arch-rivals India but minnows Afghanistan too can pose serious threats on batsman-friendly conditions. Akram, a former Test pacer who has been given a new two-year contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board, said it was not just about India in the Asia Cup.
‘I think overall it will be a tough tournament for all teams because in conditions which favour the batsmen even Afghanistan can be a threat. Even Afghanistan can’t be taken lightly in the Asia Cup and it is a competition that any team can win. All the teams are tough customers in tough conditions but obviously the India match will be important. But the way our bowlers have been bowling in recent times I am confident we can do well,’ Akram pointed out.
Commenting on India’s strong batting line-up, Akram said Pakistan possesses a formidable bowling attack to tame the willow-wielders of the neighbouring country. ‘I will give you an interesting fact that in the 2200 overs we have bowled in Test and ODIs in last one and half year, our bowlers have just sent down four no-balls,’ he said.
Insisting that this was an indication of how disciplined the bowlers were, he said in the last 55 matches Pakistan bowlers had bowled out a team 30 times for less than 200 runs. ‘If I am not wrong only five times a team has crossed 300 against us in these conditions.’
Akram also talked about implementing a rotation policy for the Pakistani bowlers given the huge amount of international cricket being played these days. ‘I have spoken to the two captains about having a rotation policy for the bowlers. With Muhammad Talha joining us and Umar Gul returning to the team, I think we have the back up to adopt a rotation policy,’ he said.
Zaheer Abbas warns Pak of complacency
LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas on Thursday said India should not be judged on the basis of their poor performances in the recent tours of South Africa and New Zealand as they would be a potent force for the upcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh.
‘It would be a mistake to judge the Indian team on basis of their recent performances because the conditions are totally different in Bangladesh. There will be something at the back of their minds that they lost these series but it will not be a factor to rule them out of the Asia Cup,’ said Abbas, the newly-appointed Pakistan cricket consultant. Zaheer, who is also the batting coach, further said conditions in Bangladesh have favoured batsmen and India had a strong batting line-up.
Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Kartik has been picked as Dhoni’s replacement. Kohli has been India’s standout batsman in recent years, stamping his mark in almost every overseas tour with impressive knocks. India will join arch-rivals Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and debutants Afghanistan in the tournament that will start on February 25 and run until March 8.
India will begin their campaign with a match against Sri Lanka on February 28, before locking horns with Pakistan on March 2. Dhoni’s captaincy has been a subject of intense criticism following India’s 0-1 defeat in the two-match Test series in New Zealand. While former India skipper Sourav Ganguly called Dhoni’s captaincy ‘obnoxious’, Rahul Dravid termed it defensive.
India have lost their last four series abroad starting with the 4-0 rout suffered in England and ending with the loss to New Zealand on Tuesday. Away from home, Dhoni has captained India in 23 Tests, out of which they have won five, lost 11 and drawn seven Tests.
Any team can win Asia Cup, says Akram
LAHORE: Pakistan’s bowling coach Muhammad Akram said the upcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh will be a tough assignment for all teams and not just arch-rivals India but minnows Afghanistan too can pose serious threats on batsman-friendly conditions. Akram, a former Test pacer who has been given a new two-year contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board, said it was not just about India in the Asia Cup.
‘I think overall it will be a tough tournament for all teams because in conditions which favour the batsmen even Afghanistan can be a threat. Even Afghanistan can’t be taken lightly in the Asia Cup and it is a competition that any team can win. All the teams are tough customers in tough conditions but obviously the India match will be important. But the way our bowlers have been bowling in recent times I am confident we can do well,’ Akram pointed out.
Commenting on India’s strong batting line-up, Akram said Pakistan possesses a formidable bowling attack to tame the willow-wielders of the neighbouring country. ‘I will give you an interesting fact that in the 2200 overs we have bowled in Test and ODIs in last one and half year, our bowlers have just sent down four no-balls,’ he said.
Insisting that this was an indication of how disciplined the bowlers were, he said in the last 55 matches Pakistan bowlers had bowled out a team 30 times for less than 200 runs. ‘If I am not wrong only five times a team has crossed 300 against us in these conditions.’
Akram also talked about implementing a rotation policy for the Pakistani bowlers given the huge amount of international cricket being played these days. ‘I have spoken to the two captains about having a rotation policy for the bowlers. With Muhammad Talha joining us and Umar Gul returning to the team, I think we have the back up to adopt a rotation policy,’ he said.
Zaheer Abbas warns Pak of complacency
LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas on Thursday said India should not be judged on the basis of their poor performances in the recent tours of South Africa and New Zealand as they would be a potent force for the upcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh.
‘It would be a mistake to judge the Indian team on basis of their recent performances because the conditions are totally different in Bangladesh. There will be something at the back of their minds that they lost these series but it will not be a factor to rule them out of the Asia Cup,’ said Abbas, the newly-appointed Pakistan cricket consultant. Zaheer, who is also the batting coach, further said conditions in Bangladesh have favoured batsmen and India had a strong batting line-up.
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