Quote of the Day : Dhoni

[The Outsider]

India don't have any such injury concerns but Mahendra Singh Dhoni preferred to keep the team a surprise. "I'm the sort of guy who doesn't really believe in announcing the XII," he said. "People say if you announce the XII you'll have 12 guys who are really focussed, but I have no problem having 14 guys who are really focussed."

Personally, I think it's better to announce the XII ahead of time, but you can only chuckle at some of his tongue in cheek remarks.

[Sachinism]

Go Dhoni This man is a genius

[Fontaine]

He also said practice sessions are more important than games because what you learn in practice is what you implement in the matches. That's the right mentality to have.

[Dirty_South]

He also said practice sessions are more important than games because what you learn in practice is what you implement in the matches.

:hail: :hail:

[Sachinism]

He also said practice sessions are more important than games because what you learn in practice is what you implement in the matches. That's the right mentality to have.

I kinda disagree with that, I believe match practice is more important than practice sessions Talking from personal experience, I don't think practice sessions can substitute for actual match situations, being out there in the middle is a big difference.

[bunny]

I kinda disagree with that, I believe match practice is more important than practice sessions Talking from personal experience, I don't think practice sessions can substitute for actual match situations, being out there in the middle is a big difference.

There's the mental and and the technical aspect of cricket. You cannot become technically adept during a match situation, whereas it's hard to grow mentally in practice sessions unless you use Chappell's six hats ;)

[Dark Warrior]

There's the mental and and the technical aspect of cricket. You cannot become technically adept during a match situation' date=' whereas it's hard to grow mentally in practice sessions unless you use [b']Chappell's six hats ;)

pwned!! :hysterical:

[flamy]

:hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail:

[King]

He also said practice sessions are more important than games because what you learn in practice is what you implement in the matches. That's the right mentality to have.

Don't know about that to be honest. This is a new school of thought but imagine if you can play in the games like you play in the training??? Often a player will be very good in the training due to lack of pressure to score or not get out. When relaxed it is easy to focus and play freely. Trainings give you that kind of relaxed attitude. It's great if you can take trainings to games but often it's quite impossible to do so given the match situation. I don't think you can implement much from the trainings but you can hone skills in the trainings not with standing how many mistakes you make before you can master the skills. Batting is all about muscle memory, more you play better you get. It's an old school of thought that if you do a particular skill for eg. a straight drive for about 10,000 times in your life your muscle memory will execute it right 99% of the times. It's another thing you can take match situation to trainings and simulate match sequences in trainings. It's lot easier to take matches to trainings than vice versa. Probably the likes of Bradman used to take trainings to games because the pressure to perform or win was not as huge as it is right now. Trainings are very important, that sure is.

[Mr. Wicket]

Personally' date=' I think it's better to announce the XII ahead of time, but you can only chuckle at some of his tongue in cheek remarks.[/quote'] I'd worship the man if he pulled a Keith Miller some time and stuck with 12 - before telling the rest "One of you had better bugger off" to get it down to 11. :--D

[Fontaine]

Don't know about that to be honest. This is a new school of thought but imagine if you can play in the games like you play in the training??? Often a player will be very good in the training due to lack of pressure to score or not get out. When relaxed it is easy to focus and play freely. Trainings give you that kind of relaxed attitude. It's great if you can take trainings to games but often it's quite impossible to do so given the match situation.

And their training has done that. This isn't something new. Dhoni has said previously that all the hard work and effort takes place in training sessions so that when his guys take the field they have the attitude that now it's time to have fun.

[King]

And their training has done that. This isn't something new. Dhoni has said previously that all the hard work and effort takes place in training sessions so that when his guys take the field they have the attitude that now it's time to have fun.

It's all exaggerating and hyping like ever. Even Ponting says that but that means nothing if you lack good enough players. I think a lot of fans just want to immortalize some players. The players make such statements to look and sound good. In reality it means nothing when it comes to playing the game. The math is quite simple, you need good players to perform consistently and to work to a plan. Cricket is quite a simple game but a winning captain is glossed and hyped too much these days. Don't get me wrong, Dhoni is good but every thing he does is hyped up to large extent.

[Fontaine]

It's all exaggerating and hyping like ever. Even Ponting says that but that means nothing if you lack good enough players. I think a lot of fans just want to immortalize some players. The players make such statements to look and sound good. In reality it means nothing when it comes to playing the game. The math is quite simple' date=' you need good players to perform consistently and to work to a plan. Cricket is quite a simple game but a winning captain is glossed and hyped too much these days. Don't get me wrong, Dhoni is good but every thing he does is hyped up to large extent.[/quote'] Yes, you do need a very good team full of good players but there's more to it. I don't think it's hype or exaggeration when you see Dhoni taking the same team from Kumble and energizing it. There was a very real and palpable change in the energy of the team when Kumble was playing in his last series and when Dhoni took over as captain. I know a lot of it is just talk, but I've seen enough action from Dhoni as well. Things like how he hardly celebrated when winning the T20 WC, winning against opposition like Australia, he barely batted an eye lid as while others around him were going mad. I've seen very good Indian teams play well below their talent level, but I've yet to see that happen under Dhoni and for me that says it all.

[King]

Yes, you do need a very good team full of good players but there's more to it. I don't think it's hype or exaggeration when you see Dhoni taking the same team from Kumble and energizing it. There was a very real and palpable change in the energy of the team when Kumble was playing in his last series and when Dhoni took over as captain. I know a lot of it is just talk, but I've seen enough action from Dhoni as well. Things like how he hardly celebrated when winning the T20 WC, winning against opposition like Australia, he barely batted an eye lid as while others around him were going mad. I've seen very good Indian teams play well below their talent level, but I've yet to see that happen under Dhoni and for me that says it all.

I don't believe in captains and coaches contributing more than about 10% to the successes and failures. I still need to see him for the next few years when the seniors retire and a couple of players hit rock bottom with their form. I find it hard to believe someone like Kirsten that has not as much coaching experience is successful because of his methods. The best example is Jayawardene. Last year he was hailed as the best captain going around and was even awarded the best captain by ICC. Anything Jayawardene did then was hyped and hailed. So was Ponting. Now we both know where they stand. One has relinquished capataincy and the other is almost on the verge of breaking down. It's great he has a balanced team now with solid but aggressive batsmen, terrific bowlers and good fielding. His keeping is excellent though. I'd wish him best and hope he proves me otherwise.

[Fontaine]

I don't believe in captains and coaches contributing more than about 10% to the successes and failures. I still need to see him for the next few years when the seniors retire and a couple of players hit rock bottom with their form. I find it hard to believe someone like Kirsten that has not as much coaching experience is successful because of his methods. The best example is Jayawardene. Last year he was hailed as the best captain going around and was even awarded the best captain by ICC. Anything Jayawardene did then was hyped and hailed. So was Ponting. Now we both know where they stand. One has relinquished capataincy and the other is almost on the verge of breaking down. It's great he has a balanced team now with solid but aggressive batsmen, terrific bowlers and good fielding. His keeping is excellent though. I'd wish him best and hope he proves me otherwise.

Let's exclude coaches out of the equation. I'm not even talking about winning/losing or form. What Dhoni is trying to do and has done so far is remove doubt and fear of losing from this team. I see that in how he's handled the huge success the team is having. It's the direct opposite of when a team like England wins the ashes. They get caught up in all the success and think they are on top of the world when I see Dhoni staying the same win or lose. His aproach has been constant in that he's always said to his players to enjoy themselves and play for each other come what may. Think back to what he has said in interviews of matches and you'll see his message has been the same. When the players buy into that message then fear of losing and the doubt that is there under pressure is no longer a factor and that's what I admire about the man. Even now Dhoni has said that there will be periods when players are out of form and the team will go through lows but what's important is to continue to work hard and enjoy cricket. For me that's an achievement that is unparalelled in Indian cricket. Compare that to when Dravid was captain with Chappell in the WC when the night before a match Chappell was showing them a video of the thousands of Indian fans in slums and poverty cheering for the Indian team saying that for them cricket is the only thing that brings them joy etc etc. One can only imagine the kind of pressure that puts on a player.

[Fontaine]

This is what I'm talking about: Go to about 2:40 in the clip ptMYhcYMAy0 That was the first series Dhoni was captain and for him to say something like "It doesn't matter to me" (win, lose) is a pretty strong statement and he's stuck with that message. That was what almost two years ago? Two years on he's saying the same thing when India lost a match to Sri Lanka in the ODI series about how win or lose the most important thing is team moral and to be in high spirits. I've always believed that the only thing holding back the Indian team was itself and the intense scrutiny they are under and the pressure/expectations. What Dhoni was tried to do so far and has done well for the most part is take away that pressure and allow the individuals to just have a good time playing cricket and that to me has been the single most important thing in Indian cricket in recent times. There have been players who said the same thing. I think it was Joginder Sharma or someone else who said that in a high pressure situation he asked Dhoni what to do, what to bowl and all Dhoni said was "Bindas khelo" (play without fear).

[flamy]

Adding to that, it's not just how he has handled success, it is how he handled the failures too. When India seriously rocked everyone in the Asia Cup and lost the final, when everyone was gutted ( I can still see Gambhir pissed off to the core ), Dhoni's insouciance of imitating Mendis' bowling action while shaking hands with the SL team surprised even Jayawardene and Co. and prolly piqued them a little too. He took that in his stride and enjoyed the game for what it is - sometimes just one player can make the difference. I knew then that some FANTASTIC years of watching my most favourite team were in store for me. And that peaceful confidence in my team - any sports fan would kill to have that.

[Mr. Wicket]

Agree w/ everything Fontaine and flamy have said in the above 3 posts. Hell of a skipper. Great time to be following India (and oh, such a relief after those awkward, uncertain interviews with Azhar that reeked of desperation without having a clue at times, or the constant fidgeting of Tendulkar in the captaincy).

[satishg]

This is what I'm talking about: Go to about 2:40 in the clip ptMYhcYMAy0 That was the first series Dhoni was captain and for him to say something like "It doesn't matter to me" (win, lose) is a pretty strong statement and he's stuck with that message. That was what almost two years ago? Two years on he's saying the same thing when India lost a match to Sri Lanka in the ODI series about how win or lose the most important thing is team moral and to be in high spirits. I've always believed that the only thing holding back the Indian team was itself and the intense scrutiny they are under and the pressure/expectations. What Dhoni was tried to do so far and has done well for the most part is take away that pressure and allow the individuals to just have a good time playing cricket and that to me has been the single most important thing in Indian cricket in recent times. There have been players who said the same thing. I think it was Joginder Sharma or someone else who said that in a high pressure situation he asked Dhoni what to do, what to bowl and all Dhoni said was "Bindas khelo" (play without fear).

one of the best posts about MSDs captaincy..agree with every word that u have said there mate..MSD is definitely making a difference to our team IMO :two_thumbs_up:

[King]

Let's exclude coaches out of the equation. I'm not even talking about winning/losing or form. What Dhoni is trying to do and has done so far is remove doubt and fear of losing from this team. I see that in how he's handled the huge success the team is having. It's the direct opposite of when a team like England wins the ashes. They get caught up in all the success and think they are on top of the world when I see Dhoni staying the same win or lose. His aproach has been constant in that he's always said to his players to enjoy themselves and play for each other come what may. Think back to what he has said in interviews of matches and you'll see his message has been the same. When the players buy into that message then fear of losing and the doubt that is there under pressure is no longer a factor and that's what I admire about the man. Even now Dhoni has said that there will be periods when players are out of form and the team will go through lows but what's important is to continue to work hard and enjoy cricket. For me that's an achievement that is unparalelled in Indian cricket. Compare that to when Dravid was captain with Chappell in the WC when the night before a match Chappell was showing them a video of the thousands of Indian fans in slums and poverty cheering for the Indian team saying that for them cricket is the only thing that brings them joy etc etc. One can only imagine the kind of pressure that puts on a player.

You got a point all right but there’s always the other side of the coin. This is not something that Dhoni has figured out of blue. If you look at the West Indies team you will see the casual approach doesn’t bring successes either if you don’t have the right players. West Indies players are the most casual cricketers ever. I’m not saying they don’t feel the hurt if they lose but they treat cricket like a carnival. They fear no failure and only play the way they are naturally bestowed with. Now that doesn’t bring good results does it? Now coming to the team that is extremely intense, Australia. They are so intense you will not see them smile much. They are extremely tough and mince no words to put the opponents in their place. They treat every game like war. They hate losing and although they don’t fear failure they kick themselves hard when they lose. They are extreme opposite to the West Indies cricket team. Didn’t Australia produce great results being intense and hating to lose? Now then how come they aren’t winning enough? Their attitude hasn’t changed, the captain hasn’t changed but why are they struggling to win? Well, bulk of their experienced and great players has retired. In fact Australia takes it to extremes. Steve Waugh took the players to Gallipoli, a war memorial site where thousands of Aussies lost their lives in the World war to spur his players before heading to the world cup. Make no mistake he was in a way asking his players to give everything they got against England. They put themselves under immense pressure to win and they enjoyed it. Pressure is not really that bad. Under pressure comes some of the best moments in a sporting event. As long as the players enjoy the pressure and take it on they will do well. That again depends on how capable is the player of course. Tendulkar’s 100s in Sharjah came under extreme pressure situation where India was going to be ousted if they didn’t win the game against Australia. Lara’s 100s in the 1999 series came against the back drop of massive pressure to draw the series. There are many such instances when extreme pressure brought out the best of the capable men. Mind you these are legends of cricket and very capable of turning the table upside down. As I said before unless you have capable players there is nothing a captain can do. What is now considered as no pressure to win or lose attitude helping Indians will one day be conceived as casual or not being serious about the game when they lose a few in a row. Media just love to back the winner that is all.