MS Dhoni a victim of erratic emotions

As India start their outing in West Indies tomorrow, skipper M S Dhoni must be feeling the pressure that is associated with the job of the Indian cricket captain.

A dismal show in the T20 World Cup in England coupled with his off-the-field antic, Dhoni is certainly not the blue-eyed boy he was in the recent past. “Where have I gone wrong?” he must be wondering.

I wouldn’t like to go into where the swashbuckling batsman-stumper has gone wrong, since that is a debatable area. But, I have a question to ask all our experts and fans. Can we stop this temporary romance with our heroes?.

My younger brother, an avid Dhoni fan just the other day, came running to me saying, “He should be sacked. He is a disaster as a skipper.” An article in a newspaper pointed out that if Dhoni didn’t change, then his days at the helm could be numbered. Even if such a frustration coming from somebody (my brother), who is in no way a cricket expert is acceptable, how is it that some former players are somewhat indicating that the Jharkhand boy may not be the best bet as the captain. And after just one series? Surprisingly, all of them were talking quite highly of him just before the beginning of the World Cup.

But is this something new in Indian cricket or India for that matter? Be it Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan or Sunil Gavaskar or Sourav Ganguly or even Sachin Tendulkar, they all have been victims of this emotional fluctuation of critics and fans.

I, as a journalist do have a problem with the arrogance Dhoni showed in England. In my view, a bit of humility would have done him good, but at the same time, I would not write him off. Yes, his selection of players in some key matches in the World Cup was wrong. Even his strategies went haywire, but isn’t that natural? It happens to everybody. Interestingly, had Dhoni’s gambles worked, we would have been worshipping him now. But we tend to show lack of maturity.

In one sense, however, it is a blessing in disguise for Dhoni. This is the first time during his stint at the helm that he has realised how tough discharging the duties of the Indian skipper is. You are always under strict vigil. And perhaps, he would understand what his predecessors (whom he quite cleverly showed the exit door) had to go through. This should be a learning lesson for him.

But, what about us? Will we continue with our erratic attitude towards those who make us proud? We will for sure. In about ten days’ time, if India humble West Indies, Dhoni will win back the confidence of the very people who are after his head now. They say form is temporary, class is permanent, but we tend to differ and make a statement.

If it’s time for Dhoni to change, so is it for fans and critics. Let’s mature please.