Good teams produce good captains: Dhoni

Published September 11, 2007

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 10: The Twenty20 World Championship is just what India need to refresh themselves after their recent tour of England, according to new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“I don’t think fatigue will have any impact on the team. The England tour was very tiring and exhausting but this is a World event and that brings excitement, freshness and confidence to the team,” Dhoni told reporters on Monday.

Dhoni said he would not feel under extra pressure when he leads India for the first time in the Twenty20 championship.

Regular captain Rahul Dravid and former skippers Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar are all being rested.

“I never even dreamed of playing for my country, so to captain India is a massive bonus. But I am not under any pressure because it is the team that must implement my decisions,” Dhoni expressed.

“I only make the decisions and whether they are successful or not depends on the response of the whole playing eleven. I know it is a very big challenge to be captain but success is not just about the captain. Good captains are made by good teams.”

India completed a gruelling four-month tour of England at the weekend, losing the last of seven One-day Internationals to lose the series 4-3. They flew straight to South Africa but Dhoni said he did not believe fatigue would be a problem in the two-week tournament.—Reuters

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