Bedi: If I was Zaheer Khan, I'd contemplate suicide

[CG]

Calcutta: Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, an outstanding left-arm spinner, isn't known to mince words. Typically, then, he gave an explosive interview to The Telegraph late on Monday. The following are excerpts Q Playing at home, on a spinning track, and thrashed by ten wickets within 90 minutes on the fourth day. What's your take on India's performance, or the lack of it, at the Wankhede? A We overestimated ourselves and underestimated England... The English must be having a good laugh... I can't understand why (captain Mahendra Singh) Dhoni made such a public call for spinning wickets. Do you shout from the rooftops? So, we got it all wrong? Of course, yes... Does Dhoni have a Derek Underwood or a Pras (Erapalli Prasanna) in his team? Do we have match-winning spinners? What I'd like to know is who is responsible for the type of wickets prepared? Who devises strategy? Moreover, does anybody have a vision? Was it a mistake fielding three spinners? When Dhoni doesn't know how to handle two, how could he have handled three spinners? If I was Zaheer Khan, I'd contemplate suicide! He has close to 300 Test wickets, yet didn't open the bowling in the first innings and wasn't given even an over in the second. You're being quite critical of Dhoni... (Firmly) Dhoni's lucky to still be the captain after leading India to eight defeats in-a-row overseas. Very lucky. Why were Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin found wanting? Harbhajan was trying too hard... The other two were trying things like the carrom ball... Come on, first learn to pitch it in the right area, then attempt variations... Our spinners bowled two-three bad balls in every over, which is unpardonable. They lacked rhythm... If Harbhajan had been dropped last year for a loss of form, what did he do to earn a recall? Did he set the Beas on fire? Ashwin thinks he's already Jim Laker... When is the last time that Harbhajan, Ojha and Ashwin each bowled 40 overs in a single Ranji Trophy innings? It's by bowling long spells that bowlers get into rhythm, not by sending down four overs in an IPL game... Why is Ishant Sharma in the dressing room if he's not playing? He should have been released for Delhi. How can he deliver if he isn't putting in the overs? Who are your two best spinners in India? That's not for me to say. Why not? Let the selectors, four of whom are getting Rs 60 lakh annually, and the chairman Rs 70 lakh, name them. Monty Panesar (match figures of 11 for 210) and Graeme Swann (eight for 113) outshone the Indian spinners... To think they aren't top class would be foolish... Monty is the quintessential English pro, while Swann is easily the world's best off-spinner today... His is such a clean action and he's a beautiful teaser.... Teases the batsmen. Their spells had a purpose and, except (Cheteshwar) Pujara, we don't have a grafter... Don't have a Rahul Dravid or a V.V.S. Laxman. It's too much to expect Sachin Tendulkar to graft at this stage of his career. You've worked with Panesar, haven't you? He's a wonderful lad. What has hurt you the most about India's massive defeat in the second Test? That our batsmen just capitulated... We even allowed England to win by ten wickets... Look at what happened in Adelaide on the same day... Gutsy South Africa forced a draw... They played with pride. Why did we not fight? I'd like an answer. Strangely, Sachin has become a soft target for quite a few... (Agitatedly) Only those who've played at least 150 Tests should be analysing Sachin's game... The experts on TV seem to only remember what he has done in the last few matches, forgetting everything he's achieved over 23 years. Let Sachin be, let him sort things out on his own. Some words on England's captain, the inspirational Alastair Cook... How highly do you rate him? Cooky's a leader... He does things in a quiet manner, grafts when at the crease... He's like an old-fashioned captain, very clear about what he wants... At the presentation, he lauded KP (Pietersen) and his spinners, without mentioning his own contribution, which was significant. I like him. The momentum is with England... It is, for now... A 1-1 scoreline means it's a two-Test series Calcutta onwards... India's under pressure, but the Dhonis have invited it upon themselves. Dhoni is still talking of wanting turning wickets, but the Eden curator (veteran Prabir Mukherjee) has said any request/instruction has to be in writing. Unusual, isn't it? I'm happy to learn that... Clearly, he takes professional pride in the work he does. Good for him. Didn't you ever ask for pitches to turn square from very early? Never... Never. That never occurred to us... There were no curators then, who would we have asked? The maalis? Generally speaking, is there a way forward? Focus on domestic cricket, look at the quality of pitches. The final one... You've been critical of Dhoni, but what about the coach, Duncan Fletcher? He's getting away with everything... The coach, I reckon, is only here to make money, that's it. Obviously, he doesn't want to interfere with anything.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/bedi-zaheer-khan-id-contemplate-suicide-223404455--spt.html Outspoken as always but makes good points also.

[Pakistan]

Headline is out of context. Bedi is giving support to Zaheer and criticizing Dhoni in the article.

[Sooda]

^ Yeah! I thought he was having one of his senile rants against zaheer

[CG]

Headline is out of context. Bedi is giving support to Zaheer and criticizing Dhoni in the article.

Yeah but thats the article headline

[great siri]

If i was bedi,i would contemplate suicide

[vamos_rafa]

Some nice points there. But, why is it that Bedi saab is consulted only when we lose. He was the first one to criticize Ganguly for opting to field in the WC final but was nowhere to be seen when we won it. I don't remember any comments from him when we won in Perth, Durban, Jo'burg or anywhere else, but since the last year he has been highly vocal. Also, he always says the negative about the incumbent captain. He did that with Ganguly and now with Dhoni.

[NareshK]

If i was bedi' date='i would contemplate suicide[/quote'] For once, I agree with you.

[MechEng]

Bedi..... :hatsoff::hatsoff::hatsoff:

[Crookbond]

Some nice points there. But, why is it that Bedi saab is consulted only when we lose. He was the first one to criticize Ganguly for opting to field in the WC final but was nowhere to be seen when we won it. I don't remember any comments from him when we won in Perth, Durban, Jo'burg or anywhere else, but since the last year he has been highly vocal. Also, he always says the negative about the incumbent captain. He did that with Ganguly and now with Dhoni.

That says lot about the man - doesn't it? I remember during the Ian Bell incident when the Indian team(specifically Dhoni) was called "gutless" by everyone. The same posters are in hiding when Bairstow was not recalled despite being not out by the same team management. In short, Bedi for me is someone who is an average cricket fan who has played cricket for the country.

[vamos_rafa]

That says lot about the man - doesn't it? I remember during the Ian Bell incident when the Indian team(specifically Dhoni) was called "gutless" by everyone. The same posters are in hiding when Bairstow was not recalled despite being not out by the same team management. In short' date=' Bedi for me is someone who is an average cricket fan who has played cricket for the country.[/quote'] Agree about the Bell incident. and I love Dhoni's reply to the question. Umpires get handsome payments, they are supposed to take some decisions. Also he said something to Flower and all that it's not my job to be recalling them everytime.

[Crookbond]

Agree about the Bell incident. and I love Dhoni's reply to the question. Umpires get handsome payments, they are supposed to take some decisions. Also he said something to Flower and all that it's not my job to be recalling them everytime.

Dhoni actually said, "He (Flower) saw the replay and wants to request for the batsman to be called NOT OUT. If that's the case, he should also call for the batsman to be OUT when he's not given."

[SLICKR392]

Rubbish as usual. Would Bedi have given the ball to Zaheer in the 2nd innings with just 50 odd runs to defend? Since when did Ojha start bowling carom balls? Needs to get his senses back! I still wouldn't have Cook as a captain. He scored heavily, good on him but his field setting and the selection in the 1st Test despite knowing the conditions isn't a quality of a great leader. He has almost 2-3 fielders in the deep by the second over. You don't need an Erapalli or a Underwood to get 20 English wicket who still aren't less fragile to spin as they were. You need to bowl at good areas and with good pace which was shown by Monty. This is the coach's job to amend their mistakes not the captain's.

[Sandeep99]

If i was bedi' date='i would contemplate suicide[/quote'] Please think you're Bedi no..

[indiaregulator]

So, he loves Swann because of his action. Bedi has a serious action with bowling actions... FFS didn't he call Ojha a chucker?

[Magneto]

So, he loves Swann because of his action. Bedi has a serious action with bowling actions... FFS didn't he call Ojha a chucker?

Bedi has a point regarding that.

[maniac]

Bedi makes a lot of good points here....I mean not opening with your premier fast bowler with the new ball...That's stupid.....I mean atleast give 2 overs to Zak and if Eng were like 10/2,then it would have been a totally different ball game with the spinners putting the pressure.... Well lots of Coulda shoulda....but that's the way it should have been IMHO

[Sean Bradley]

I agree with bedi when he said dhoni is still lucky to be the capitan of this team, especially test capitain.

[Lord]

Zak has had the wood on Cook,so good point there

[Lord]

Some nice points there. But' date=' why is it that Bedi saab is consulted only when we lose.[b'] He was the first one to criticize Ganguly for opting to field in the WC final but was nowhere to be seen when we won it. I don't remember any comments from him when we won in Perth, Durban, Jo'burg or anywhere else, but since the last year he has been highly vocal. Also, he always says the negative about the incumbent captain. He did that with Ganguly and now with Dhoni.

we won?:blink:

[Lord]

That says lot about the man - doesn't it? I remember during the Ian Bell incident when the Indian team(specifically Dhoni) was called "gutless" by everyone. The same posters are in hiding when Bairstow was not recalled despite being not out by the same team management. In short' date=' Bedi for me is someone who is an average cricket fan who has played cricket for the country.[/quote'] why would we say anything wen he did the right thing?he did the wrong thing in England n was criticised,n wasnt here,wats so hard to get?