Greg Chappell praises MS Dhoni for his ‘decision-making’ skills;
Former Team India head coach Greg Chappell has lavished praise on MS Dhoni. For his “decision-making and strategic skills” which set him apart from his competitors.
Dhoni, the former India captain and perhaps one of the best captains in cricket history. Therefore, he has won it all: the T20I World Cup in 2007, the Champions Trophy in 2013, and the 2011 ODI World Cup on home soil. While speaking about natural environments that help in shaping up cricketers. Chappell said Dhoni is one of the “sharpest cricket” minds the former Australian cricketer has encountered.
“The developed cricket countries have lost the natural environments. that were a big part of their development structure in bygone eras. In those environments, young cricketers learned from watching good players. And then emulating them in pick-up matches with family and friends,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.
“The Indian subcontinent still has many towns where coaching facilities are rare. Moreover, youngsters play in streets and on vacant land without the interference of formal coaching. This is where many of their current stars have learned the game.”
“MS Dhoni, with whom I worked in India, is a good example of a batter. He developed his talent and learned to play in this fashion. By competing against more experienced individuals on a variety of surfaces early in his development. Dhoni developed the decision-making and strategic skills. That have set him apart from many of his peers. His is one of the sharpest cricket minds I have encountered,” Chappell added.
Former Australia batsman Ian Chappell said that England had “very few” of these natural environments. And the cricketers are groomed after a coaching programme.
“England, on the other hand, have very few of these natural environments. And their players are produced in a narrow band of public schools. With an emphasis on the coaching manual. This is why their batting has lost much of its flair and resilience,” said Chappell.
Returning to Dhoni, the former captain made his international debut against Bangladesh in 2004. And went on to play 538 matches in all forms throughout the course of his 16-year career. Moreover, Dhoni represented India in 350 One-Day Internationals, 90 Tests, and 98 Twenty20 Internationals.
In July 2019, he last played in an international match. When India lost to New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final. Dhoni announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on August 15, 2020, bringing an end to an outstanding career.
Dhoni scored 4,876 runs in Tests at an average of 38.09. And 10,773 runs in ODIs at an average of 50.57 during his career. Moreover, the swashbuckling batsman has 1617 runs with a strike rate of 126.13 in T20Is.
(With ANI Inputs)