Former India captain and MP Mohammad Azharuddin feels that current skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lacks ‘a bit of intelligence’ when it comes to leading India in the Test cricket and there should be three different captains for three formats of the game.
Azharuddin, who was here to lead the Indian MPs in a friendly match against members of the House of Lords, said, ‘He has always been a very good captain in ODIs and 20-20s but in Test cricket, he lacks a bit of intelligence. May be when it comes to taking instant on-field decisions. So, I feel that he is very much suited for ODIs and T20s but for Test matches. I honestly believe that there should be three different captains for three formats,’ he added.
‘He is a very good player. May be, when he doesn’t have pressure on him of the captaincy, he might play differently. I think, it’s very hard for anyone to say whether he is able to justify his place in the Test team or not, but since he is a captain, you have to respect that,’ he added. Asked about the Test series white washes against England and Australia respectively, he said, ‘Lack of confidence and lack of preparation were the key reasons. We did badly because the ball swung a lot in those conditions.’ Azhar feels that Rohit Sharma should be an ideal replacement for Rahul Dravid in the Test team. . ‘Rohit Sharma should play,’ was Azhar’s answer to the query. ‘Rohit Sharma is a talented cricketer and should be given a chance to play in all formats.
Another good player was Virat Kohli but he was already playing which was a big bonus,’ he added. Azhar refused to blame the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the youngsters developing faulty techniques and not putting enough emphasis on the longer version. He said, ‘Twenty 20 and Test cricket are two different formats. It’s not justified to blame the T20 or for that matter the IPL for the decline in quality of youngsters in Test cricket because players are different for T20s and Test matches.
It should not serve as an excuse when you are not performing well. If you are a good player you should quickly adapt to different formats. Good cricketers perform well in every format.’ A few months back, the veteran of 99 Tests was struck by the personal tragedy of losing his younger son Mohammed Ayazuddin in an accident. Asked about his elder son Abbas (Asaduddin), he said, ‘At the moment, he is injured. He had got a tennis elbow and was recovering from that. He had got a lot of talent. He started the game a bit late but he had got a lot of talent, Azar added’. UNI