dhoni's curious stand on suresh raina's 'mental fatigue'...

shared by straight point on Friday, November 26, 2010

first accept my sincere apology to talk about sundry matters like india vs south africa test series when the flavor of the moment is 'the asses'...

dhoni, after crushing new zealand in final test match of the test series, stood up for raina... and pronounced...

"If he doesn't get a break in the ODI series [after the first 2 games] then you have to [replace him]," Dhoni said. "He is at a point where he needs a break from cricket.

A 10 to 15-day break will really help him. He has played as much cricket as I have or most of other cricketers. He has played one more series in Zimbabwe. At times international cricket really drains you. More than the physical part it's always that mental part that is important. Unfortunately, most of the senior players are missing from the ODI series which means he had to play."

now no denying the fact that after dhoni, if any player that deserved the rest... it was suresh raina... he is the most busy player in team india, after dhoni, who has featured in almost all games without a break... but if he has really reached the 'tipping point' as mentioned by dhoni... why they continued to play him against no.8 team in the world...?

dhoni's excuse that they kept him playing thinking he would be given rest in one day series against new zealand don't cut the ice simply because why would you risk a fatigued player for three back to back five day games to limit team's potential when you have more fit and eager player in ranks in the form of cheteshwar pujara...?

as things stands now... if raina is not rested in later half of the odis (which i hope he will be) he is going to miss the first test against south africa in their home soil... and guess who will replace him...? cheteshwar pujara... in all probability...

this is baffling on many counts... if che is deemed capable enough to play in far tough conditions than the roads that were laid for new zealand test series at home... why he was not given an outing here instead of opting to include a player who is on the 'tipping point' as far as mental fatigue goes... hence, can be safely assumed, was not able to give his 100%... thereby limiting the potential of a team...?

dhoni himself acknowledged that india did not play to its potential in the test series against new zealand when he himself opted to do so...

another aspect is that if team management can decide who plays after selectors have done their job by selecting 15-16 players... can decide and announce more than a fortnight ago that so and so player will be rested... what was stopping the same think tank for doing it at home against a much lessor opponent...?

poor che... who had to spend time at bench when the roads were waiting for him to have a decent knocks against his name while a mentally fatigued player was allowed to keep playing to give him easy runs... but when the conditions will be more demanding... more challenging he will be picked to play coz the same fatigued player will be rested... and irrespective of whether che succeed or not will see his place being taken over again by the same player... who will come 'refreshed' after a well deserved break...

must say our team think tank has already made the forthcoming india vs south africa test series interesting without even a ball being bowled... at least for me...

16 comments:

Golandaaz said...

Its a question of player security as well and the technicality of who makes the decision to rest the player.

Your argument is logical but does not consider the above 2 aspects.

If the board/selectors explicitly "rest" a player, it is a given that he will get his place back

If Dhoni were to unilaterallly rest Raina during the tests and had Pujara capitalized on the opportunity, the road to get Raina back would have been shut. The selectors would have reason to drop Raina from the test side

Also the process of asking to be rested is very clear. A player has to notify the board / selectors. Once selected Raina had no choice but to play. The captain has no authority to drop a player for want of rest. Any omission will be considered "dropping" on performance grounds.

straight point said...

gol... but if che performs exceptionally good... the same can still happen...

The captain has no authority to drop a player for want of rest.

but the same captain can announce well before the series that the so and so player could be 'rested' if he is not rested in later part of odi series... even when the player is 'selected' for the test...

Golandaaz said...

That is simply a message to the board to act and rest him for the last 3 ODIs; I think.

If Che performs exceptionally good when Raina is rested by the board there is considerably more likelihood of Raina returning than if he were rested by Dhoni. The later will be conveniently thought of as a performance based dropping by the selectors. There would be no onus on the selectors to do what's right for Raina and future cricketers who are in need of rest

In my view Dhoni's comments were measured, and intended to trigger some action by the board.

straight point said...

In my view Dhoni's comments were measured, and intended to trigger some action by the board.

even on that account... then he should be accused of not talking directly to board or selectors if he feels that certain player requires rest... tho i agree that raina has not reached the level of security that he can call himself unavailable due to fatigue...

but if team think tank really feels that certain player is well equipped but deserve rest then i am not sure issuing statement in media is right way to go...

this, to me, again highlights the notion that team think tank and selectors are not on same wavelength...

straight point said...

lets look at another instance hypothetically...

lets say if selectors don't rest him in later half of odis citing reason that most senior players are already out... and then team management decide to 'rest' raina on their own discretion... and che performs well...

the same scenario of players not rested by selectors but team management still comes into effect along with insecurity of place for the player who was selected but rested... as you have commented...

Golandaaz said...

In my view once you are part of the team, you have to play.

As to why Dhoni spoke to the media and not directly to the board. May be he did how do we know.

The problem with debating on what is said / not said in the media and Indian cricket in general is that there is no transparency. We end up arguing on hypothesis

Dhoni I think will get what he wants eventually. We will know. I think Raina needs a rest and he also needs a guarantee that irrespective of how Che performs he will get his slot back.

I don't think Dhoni will "rest" Raina even if he plays 5 ODIs. Either he will be dropped for the SA test or he will play. He will not be "rested".

And if Che succeeds, Raina will remain dropped till someone else or Che himself deserves to be dropped.

The BCCI is very averse to giving so much control to the captain. That he can decide whom to rest and not. If they do cede this control people will hive injuries from the board, get selected and not play

raj said...

If che succeeds when Raina is rested, why should Raina deserve his place back? He was given all the easy opps still he did only middlingly well and failed every tough test asked of him - pujara was given a thanknless job in his only test and if he succeeds in africa, would have aced tougher conditions. So why should Raina deserve his place back?
I find it appalling that limited over peacocks continue to get preferential treatment despite being exposed as inadequate in every single tough test they have been faced with.

P.s: apologies to pujara fans because any such impassioned plea by me on behalf of an player on any blog jinxes him beyond redemption. But i had to get this out of my chest

straight point said...

raj...

i have absolutely no problem with notion that the player whoever he is... if rested (for reasonably short period) should be given preference or sort of a guarantee that he will win his place back when he comes back... otherwise no player will announce his fatigue or desire to rest and we will keep observing players hiding their niggles / injuries to be in team and in final xi...

but having said that... i have problem with decision to keep playing the player in question when team management clearly knows that player has reached its tipping point and thereby accepting to play without its optimized level... or full potential...

it is injustice to both player... like raina and che in this case...

Spongebob said...

Raina shouldn't be playing in the Test, because I want fresh in form Raina for ODI, which he was/is. Playing him in test also can unsettle his mindset before going to WC, if he fails in Test, and he kind of did recently.

Pujara should have replaced him long time ago. Or he should have been in the side before Raina. I just hope we continue with Pujara for whole series, no matter what, and introduce fresh Raina for ODI. And hopefully he plays well, and continue for WC.

I agree with you, why would you fatigue your player on a first place, if that guy is match winner for you in shorter format or if that guy is already in playing 11 for other formats. Well, for Dhoni, he doesn't have choice being captain. But why Raina!

Imagine Raina's psyche going to world cup, if he manages to do horribly wrong in SA, thats two failed test series in a raw.

I hope team management fix this, because its still not too late.

raj said...

I hope Raina plays and fails in Africa. It is about time the limited overs peacocks stepped aside and real heroes like pujara get tests.

For too long, limited over specialists have been getting unfair preference over unglamorous, solid performers like pujara. Select your rainas for odis by all means. Wh did he get preference over pujara in tests? Why is the world trying to worry about his psyche fatigue etc and trying to keep him in good spirits by assuring a return even if pujara does well?
Does the same world care about pujara and his psyche whence he has to play seconmd fiddle to raina despite a better and rounded first class record besides a sokaing the pressure debut as compared to "easy conditions sucess, difficult conditions fail" test record of raina?
What about the agony sucha test cricketer has to go through seeing the effect of odi performances blinding people?

I dont care if we lose the woprld cup but i would like to see our limited overs bullies cut to size.

Even if pujara fails, my point is valid. He should have got preference over Raina for test debut and should be given more chances even if he fails in africa.

Spongebob said...

@ Raj the fact is, we (I at least)still adore ODI a lot as well, but I wouldn't give guy a test spot if that guy is doing excellent job for you in shorter format.

Our recent selection history suggest that shorter format heroes are given preference far too early than require compare to Ranji heroes.

Sehwag, Gambhir, Vijay, Irfan, Dhoni and now Raina.

Its not that they can do better than the one who suits the format, all can do better. All can perform and play very well cricket.

That's why I have been fan of all formats and always want 3 separate side by not much overlapping of players. By that way enough players are given decent chance although they can perform everywhere.

I personally do worry about Raina psyche and fatigue factor because I grew up watching WC matches, I grew up hearing and reading 1983 WC glory. So, it is still loose-loose situation even if you worry about Raina or not.

1) He shouldn't be there at first place.(not because he can't perform at this level, just because there was another person waiting in line.) 2) He still shouldn't play Test yet, not at least before WC, since failure there can upset WC chances.

What are the chances Raina wouldn't perform in SA, if he does succeed in SA, does that mean Che shouldn't play in test squad?

So, thats the point, hundreds of players didn't make it to India XI through out the year. But, now we have opportunity three format, three different stages, more chances.

But we have been mixing too much. That needs to be stopped. I mean they should at least do rotation by 6 months or so, or take a break from certain formats occasionally if Sehwag, Dhoni, Sachin can take break from ODI, why can't Raina and Vijay take break from Test for a while!!

But currently I don't think any players would say 'No' to test cap seeing how India is doing in Test :P No matter how tired they are.

Golandaaz said...

There is another angle we may not be considering, which money - sponsors. I am sure they too have an indirect stake in the team composition. I am not suggesting that a Pepsi (just an example) gets to decide who plays and who does not but when they sign contracts as sponsors, I am sure they are expecting at least some known players to be in the team. I know cricket as a game sells itself but stars draw audience and who knows Raina is playing now because BCCI has to honor its contractual obligations. Again I have no proof of this just an aspect to consider...

straight point said...

spongebob...

agree completely that pujara should have been in test team ahead of raina etc... but there is this theory that you need at least one left hander in middle order which is why after yuvi, raina got slotted in...

considering how important he is to our wc plans... instead of resting him for odis it would have been good for him had he been rested for test series if he was THAT fatigued...

sometimes we need to prioritize things... since this is WC season...

straight point said...

raj...

what makes you think that if che won't be given more chances...?

if team india wants to remain a top side which they desire... even they would know at the back of their mind who are the best personnel that can carry them forward... and che is one of them... it would be nothing like mind-bankruptcy if they do that... but having said that i have seen them make some baffling decisions...

straight point said...

gol...

i agree that this angle is worth considering...

the sponsors or broadcaster bid for rights at ridiculously high prices so in return they are justified in wanting for a descent squad which assures them decent returns for their investment...

but what you seems to miss is that had raina rested from test it would not have affected anything...

there are enough starts in our test team already and the presence /absence of raina won't reflect on sponsors... :)

as i said this is world cup season and raina is very important a player to be fiddled around... in my point of view he should have been rested from tests rather than the odis... if that was the case...

Golandaaz said...

I see your argument, yes. Also agree that the sponsor angle is irrelevant to the case of Raina being rested for Tests.

However I stick to my original stand, for Tests Dhoni had no authority to do that. So we disagree here...

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