Tamil Diplomat

Ashwin defends Dhoni’s leadership

R Ashwin has mounted a strong defence of MS Dhoni’s leadership saying he would “die on the field” if his captain asked him to. A 2-0 loss to Bangladesh had sharpened the spotlight on Dhoni, who brushed aside the criticism of his captaincy but sarcastically quipped that if he was the source of everything that was wrong with Indian cricket, he would gladly step aside.

When asked for his thoughts on the issue, a visibly irked Ashwin said: “He is one of the star cricketers, man, he is a legend of Indian cricket. He has done so much for the nation. We can’t really forget what he has done.

“Yes I know bad results crop and all kinds of statistics crop up. With statistics you can prove whatever you want as you please. You have to give credit to the individual because he has done a lot of good things. You can’t blame him for the whole team’s performance. That’s not fair. I would say we have failed as a unit, failed as a group.

“Of course, man, if you don’t go behind your leader (now) then when will you? So as far as I am concerned it’s like an army, if you don’t go behind your leader then you are definitely going to get shot. If my captain asks me to die on the field, I’ll do it. It’s not just now, any captain you have to go behind him. If he asks you to die on the field, then you have to be prepared to do it.”