I exercised my authority as BCCI president to save Dhoni from being sacked as captain in 2011: N Srinivasan

Former chairman and president of the BCCI, N Srinivasan revealed that he went over the selection panel by exercising his authority to retain MS Dhoni as Indian captain after India’s horror Test series against Australia in 2011/12. The 4-0 whitewash in Australia made the selectors contemplate appointing a new ODI captain for the tri-series that […]
 
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I exercised my authority as BCCI president to save Dhoni from being sacked as captain in 2011: N Srinivasan

Former chairman and president of the BCCI, N Srinivasan revealed that he went over the selection panel by exercising his authority to retain MS Dhoni as Indian captain after India’s horror Test series against Australia in 2011/12.

The 4-0 whitewash in Australia made the selectors contemplate appointing a new ODI captain for the tri-series that was to follow. That was when Srinivasan claimed to have stepped in and nullified any such move by the selectors.

Srinivasan narrated to the Indian Express, “This was 2011. India had won the World Cup. And [then] in Australia, we didn’t do well in the Tests. So, one of the selectors wanted to remove Dhoni as the ODI captain. The point is, how do you remove him as the ODI captain?

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“He had won the World Cup. The selectors had not even thought of who would be his replacement. There was a discussion and then (before the formal meeting) and I said there was no way in which he would not be a player (captain).

“In fact, it was a holiday. I was playing golf. I came back. Sanjay Jagdale was the (BCCI) secretary at that time and he said, ‘Sir, they are refusing to choose the captain. They will take him (Dhoni) in the team (as a player).’ I came and said that MS Dhoni would be the captain. I exercised all my authority as the president.”

I exercised my authority as BCCI president to save Dhoni from being sacked as captain in 2011: N Srinivasan
I exercised my authority as BCCI president to save Dhoni from being sacked as captain in 2011: N Srinivasan

N Srinivasan overruled the selectors’ plans to sack Dhoni from captaincy in 2011

Mohinder Amarnath, who had been vocal in his decision to oust Dhoni as captain at the time, was sacked from his job as a selector. This happened at a time when he was tipped to take over as chairman of the selection committee from Kris Srikkanth. His former Indian teammate Sandeep Patil took over from him.

Srinivasan has also left the door open for Dhoni to play for CSK for as long as he wants. Dhoni announced his international retirement on August 15 from Chennai, where he is currently involved in a preparatory camp with the other Indian players before flying out to Dubai for this year’s IPL.

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Srinivasan said, “He can play for CSK as long as he wants. At present, let CSK win the IPL. One of the reasons for CSK’s success under Dhoni is that he never thinks beyond the match. He never digresses. And we will follow the same policy now.”