The Bengal cricketer Manoj Tiwary has always been vocal on social media with his opinion. He was very disappointed after not being picked for the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year. And recently he asked the selectors what is the criteria for selection after he was ignored for the Duleep Trophy despite a good domestic season.
After the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales, the questions over MS Dhoni’s future in Team India have increased. Many believe that Dhoni should have hanged up his boots after the mega ICC tournament. But he didn’t hint anything after India’s shocking loss to New Zealand in the semi-finals.
The BCCI also hasn’t commented anything on Dhoni’s retirement. But they have made it clear that Rishabh Pant will take the wicket-keeper duties for now. MSD himself pulled out of the West Indies tour and won’t represent India for two months.
Meanwhile, Manoj has spoken on the former Indian skipper’s retirement speculations. He believes it’s time for the BCCI to take a call on Dhoni’s future.
“Dhoni has done a lot for our country. He has made a lot of contributions to this team. Recently, Sachin Tendulkar said that it’s time for Dhoni to side-line himself, he has played a lot. Though Virat Kohli has said that the team needs Dhoni, I feel that the selectors need to take a tough call. It’s time to show courage, and it’s necessary to take the step,” Tiwary told the Indian Express in an interview.
Tiwary feels that those who underperform shouldn’t be persisted with. He also doubted if the selectors are continuing with Dhoni based on the latter’s exploits in the past. Moreover, the 33-year-old didn’t mince any words in saying that Team India is not anyone’s personal property and the youngsters who are performing well at the domestic level should get their due opportunities.
“Of late, Dhoni’s performance has significantly gone down. I wouldn’t have said this had it been only for an innings or two. But one has to field the best team. Those who perform, stay, and those who don’t have to move away,” Tiwary said.
“I’m not sure if the selectors are giving Dhoni chances based on the past. There are a number of talented cricketers in our country, and they should get chances. The Indian team isn’t anyone’s personal property. It’s a team of the nation, and that needs to be kept in mind,” he added.
