There seems to be immense confusion within Indian cricket on who is the real boss of the team. As captain, M.S. Dhoni had the wholesome support of the forces that matter in the BCCI. As his chosen coach, Duncan Fletcher had a smooth long run too, despite his overall Test record, including when in charge of Team England, being abysmal.
When Ravi Shastri was appointed team director, the impression was he was taking over as the man responsible for Team India. Now, Dhoni has put his oar in the water regarding Fletcher being around till the World Cup.The BCCI said Dhoni was airing only his private thoughts and not reflecting official opinion. Everyone knows the only opinion that counts in the cricket board is that of the de facto head.
With neither the board nor its non-titular head having any great faith in transparency, there will be no official clearing of the air, even when the team is going through a major crisis of confidence and character. Clarity of thought would help immensely towards Team India taking a good shot at winning the World Cup again. It is inarguable that Dhoni is the best man to be at the one-day helm.
This, however, does not mean he can impose his will on all matters, including team management. Given the kind of Test results achieved in the recent past, it is only right the board insist Dhoni abandon his personalised style of leadership, which has led to some disastrous results abroad, including in limited-overs cricket. It is time the BCCI told its permanent captain to stop dictating terms.
