Dhoni is a model of sportsmanship. Haters can suck it

[zaremba]

Hats off to him.

 

[Cevno]

So it is now Shastri, Atherton, Gavaskar, Manjrekar, Botham, Hussain, Akram who wouldn't have overturned.

Credit to Dhoni for overturning it and upholding the spirit and all but have big doubts whether it was the right decision tbh. Basically Bell learned a lesson without paying a price.

 

[zaremba]

So it is now Shastri, Atherton, Gavaskar, Manjrekar, Botham, Hussain, Akram who wouldn't have overturned.

Credit to Dhoni for overturning it and upholding the spirit and all but have big doubts whether it was the right decision tbh. Basically Bell learned a lesson without paying a price.

I think most of them thought it was a good thing to have done, though, regardless of what they themselves would have done.

And none of them seemed to share your conviction that Bell was attempting a run.

And what's more telling by far is that the India team, who emerge from all this with a good deal of credit, were unanimous in their belief that the appeal should be withdrawn.

 

[Cevno]

I think most of them thought it was a good thing to have done, though, regardless of what they themselves would have done.

And none of them seemed to share your conviction that Bell was attempting a run.

Some certainly thought Bell was attempting a run for a while.

But ignoring that what my point is that it's all good and dandy that Dhoni was upholding the spirit and all, but how many captains would reciprocate that?
Being the nice guy may get you the applause right now, but others would be more ruthless and take advantage of that and not have any remorse about it. And the former Captains reaction proves that point.

And what's more telling by far is that the India team, who emerge from all this with a good deal of credit, were unanimous in their belief that the appeal should be withdrawn.

I doubt they were unanimous tbh. Most of these decisions are presented as unanimous like say the moderation decisions on here etc..
I think most of the senior guys as in Sachin, Laxman, and Dravid who are proverbial nice guys who shy away from controversies(took sledging and never gave back etc for so long) would have been unanimous but don't think everyone else would have been unanimous.

Would like to know someone like Sehwag,Yuvraj or Harbhajan's honest view of the incident?

Even Ganguly who has played with everyone said that they sent the proverbial nice guy in Dravid to give the interviews but there would be some tempers flaring in the dressing room.

 

[Jarquis]

Dhoni (Y)

 

[silentstriker]

I guess I'm just in minority here but to me a captain making a conscious decision to perform an act that directly benefits the opposition is an immediate sackable offense. If you want it to be a rule, write it down. He is not there as a goodwill ambassador. Hindsight is 20/20, whether India lose by 400 or 5 or pull out a miracle win, the decision by the indian captain at the time it was taken directly against the interests of his team. If it helps bridge the divide between fans and boards or whatever the hell else, it's all good but his job is to win the games first.

I knew as soon as the first series was lost by Dhoni, the knives would be out for his captaincy but I never thought in a million years that I'd be one of the first ones to do it.

Anyway I've said enough on the topic - I guess we'll agree to disagree.

 

[silentstriker]

Oh and I don't buy the unanimity either.

 

[Furball]

I guess I'm just in minority here but to me a captain making a conscious decision to perform an act that directly benefits the opposition is an immediate sackable offense. If you want it to be a rule, write it down. He is not there as a goodwill ambassador. Hindsight is 20/20, whether India lose by 400 or 5 or pull out a miracle win, the decision by the indian captain at the time it was taken directly against the interests of his team. If it helps bridge the divide between fans and boards or whatever the hell else, it's all good but his job is to win the games first.

I knew as soon as the first series was lost by Dhoni, the knives would be out for his captaincy but I never thought in a million years that I'd be one of the first ones to do it.

Anyway I've said enough on the topic - I guess we'll agree to disagree.

The game itself is more important than any individual win.

 

[smash84]

I knew as soon as the first series was lost by Dhoni, the knives would be out for his captaincy but I never thought in a million years that I'd be one of the first ones to do it.

Yeah but Dhoni won't lose the series because he took back this decision. For all practical purposes Dhoni might have been thinking "look here guys we are already quite screwed up in this match so why not go down with a bit of goodwill and take this decision back".

I am speculating but it is a possibility.

 

[Cevno]

Yeah but Dhoni won't lose the series because he took back this decision. For all practical purposes Dhoni might have been thinking "look here guys we are already quite screwed up in this match so why not go down with a bit of goodwill and take this decision back".

I am speculating but it is a possibility.

If that was the thinking then it is defeatist and even Worse. Basically he has admitted defeat.

 

[zaremba]

I've no idea about the truthfulness of Dravid'd repeated claim to, in his words, "complete unanimity". Right now we have no way of knowing either way.

As to what Bell was up to, well he obviously thought (perhaps forgivably) it had gone for four and that it was therefore tea. And he jogged off to join his partner at the other end. It seems plausible that he may have realised, when part of the way down the wicket, that his assumption might have been wrong and he might therefore be on trouble - hence his little guilty glance back down the pitch to see if the fielder had broken the wicket. But it really is ridiculous to suggest that he was at any point attempting a run.

 

[Cevno]

The game itself is more important than any individual win.

But the thing is that it is not Dhoni alone's duty to uphold the spirit of the game, when so many (heavy majority) of the ex - captains are saying they saw nothing wrong with it and wouldn't have overturned it without any remorse.

 

[four_or_six]

I can't believe Dhoni is getting so much grief. Indian fans ought to be proud of the fact they've got such a captain. I remember how embarrassing it was when Collingwood refused to reconsider that appeal against NZ.

 

[Cevno]

I can't believe Dhoni is getting so much grief. Indian fans ought to be proud of the fact they've got such a captain. I remember how embarrassing it was when Collingwood refused to reconsider that appeal against NZ.

What he did took guts and he should be praised etc... but sometimes the popular thing and the right thing is not the same.

And i have my doubts if the Indian team is in a similar situation many other captains would reciprocate. And the heavy majority of so many ex captains saying that they would have not overturned does not do anything to dispel this.

 

[four_or_six]

What he did took guts and he should be praised etc... but sometimes the popular thing and the right thing is not the same.

And i have my doubts if the Indian team is in a similar situation many other captains would reciprocate. And the heavy majority of so many ex captains saying that they would have not overturned does not do anything to dispel this.

You can be sure that Strauss will, and that is a good start.

 

[Furball]

What he did took guts and he should be praised etc... but sometimes the popular thing and the right thing is not the same.

And i have my doubts if the Indian team is in a similar situation many other captains would reciprocate. And the heavy majority of so many ex captains saying that they would have not overturned does not do anything to dispel this.

The ex captains are all a bunch of blowhards. All very easy to say what you would or wouldn't have done if you're speaking hypothetically.

 

[ankitj]

I can't believe Dhoni is getting so much grief. Indian fans ought to be proud of the fact they've got such a captain.

Yeah, that's why I was not ready to take Harper's comments on face value in the other thread. I always knew Dhoni is a gem of a person (even if some times too self assured about the choices he makes). Hopefully many others will start seeing it now

 

[Cevno]

You can be sure that Strauss will, and that is a good start.

Yeah Strauss will for sure now but say some incident (not exactly the same neccessarily) happens in the tour to Australia like last time and Clarke does not, then not only Dhoni will have no real right to complain with history too of last time and will come out of the 2 incidents looking like a fool even if one mantaining "Ethical standards" and praiseworthy and India at a cumulative loss.

As Dravid said too there was a incident in the West Indies wrt Laxman being stumped in his interview and they were a bit unhappy with the appeal but that wasn't overturned.

The ex captains are all a bunch of blowhards. All very easy to say what you would or wouldn't have done if you're speaking hypothetically.

Why would they lie though?

Surely the popular thing to say would be that they would have overturned the decision and upholded the spirit and all.Like Ganguly was doing.

Even Ian Bell was asked himself point blank what he would have done had he been captain but gave no clear reply.

 

[shivfan]

I really don't like the path modern cricket has taken these days....

Batsmen questioning whether catches taken low are grounded or not, instead of taking the fielder's word for it. Batsmen not walking any more. Bowlers and fielders appealing loudly for catches they know were not out. Runners not being allowed.

I think we're deluding ourselves if we think the spirit of cricket really means as much as it used to in this result-oriented era.

 

[Themer]

As Dravid said too there was a incident in the West Indies wrt Laxman being stumped in his interview and they were a bit unhappy with the appeal but that wasn't overturned.

Two wrongs don't make a right ever.