The jury is still out on whether M.S. Dhoni should be a part of the 2019 World Cup squad but Virender Sehwag strongly feels that the Indian team is “yet to find suitable replacement” for the former skipper.
“I don’t think anyone can replace Dhoni at this point of time. Rishabh Pant is good but he would also need time to replace him. That can only happen after 2019. It’s then when we should think about Dhoni’s replacement. Till then let Pant gain experience,” Sehwag told PTI in an exclusive interview.
“We should not worry about whether Dhoni is scoring runs or not. We should only pray that Dhoni is fit till the World Cup. The experience that he has in the middle and the lower middle-order, no one has that,” said Sehwag.
There is a school of thought that K.L. Rahul could be seen with the big gloves in case Dhoni is found wanting but Sehwag is completely against that idea.
“I would never want a guy, who is not a natural ‘keeper. It’s not keeping for 20 overs in the Indian Premier League. During a 50-over match, one missed stumping or missed catch can change the course of the match. It’s not a risk worth taking,” said Sehwag.
The swashbuckling opener wants middle-order batsmen to be given more chances so that everyone has close to a 100-match experience by the time the World Cup begins. The core team should be set at least one year before the World Cup.
“The middle-order that would play in the World Cup along with the bowlers should be given enough opportunities, so by the time of the World Cup, they should have played close to 100 ODIs each. They should be ready to handle each and every challenging situation thrown at them,” he said.
“Experience always enables you to handle pressure better. They can then win you matches in crunch situations. If they are not given that many chances, they could be the weak link. Next three to six months, I hope that the core is set.”
Asked about the ‘rested’ R. Ashwin playing County cricket for Worcestershire, Sehwag felt that ideally he should have been rested after bowling close to 200 overs in the three Tests against Sri Lanka.
“I thought that he was being given a break as he has bowled a lot in the Tests. Ideally, he should have been given rest but then it’s a decision that Ashwin and team management needed to take. I don’t know what’s in their minds.
“May be they are focussing on winning the Test series in England next year and if that’s the case, then so be it.”