Mumbai: The biggest talking point about the Indian squad announcement on Wednesday was former skipper MS Dhoni being named as the mentor of the team for World Cup 2021. The decision has been accepted with open arms by fans and cricket experts all over and the country’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev was among them.
He has believed Dhoni’s presence in the India squad as mentor will give more confidence to the team. He further opined that it seems more like a special case. “It is a good decision. I have always been of the opinion that once a cricketer retires he should come back to the setup only after three-four years,” Kapil Dev was quoted as saying to ANI.
“Now maybe this is a special case with the (T20) World Cup coming up. (Head coach) Ravi Shastri too is not well and out of the squad due to Covid-19. So this is an important time, and as I said, it (Dhoni’s appointment) could be a special case with the World Cup ahead,” he added.
Kapil emphasized that he is against unnecessary scrutiny of the India squad that has been finalised for the marquee event in October-November. He said that we should all support the team that has been picked by the management. “I wouldn’t like to say much about the squad. Makes no sense at this stage. If the selectors, captain and the Board have picked a side, why do we need to create confusion now when they will soon be going for the World Cup? Whatever team has been picked, it’s a good one.” he stated.
“You can talk before finalizing the team. But now that the team has already been decided, I think we should not let down our heroes who are going to play. If you say, ‘he should’ve been there or he shouldn’t be there’, you’re pulling down some cricketer or the other who’s going to represent the country. So being an Indian, we should all support the team that has been picked. So good luck to the players and I hope this team wins.”
Asked about the fifth and final India-England Test in Manchester being called off due to the scare of Covid-19 in the Indian camp, Kapil refused to comment on the matter.
“I’m not really aware of what exactly has happened and have no clue whatsoever about whether it’s cancelled or postponed. So I’m just not in a position to talk about it,” he signed off.
