I have often received feedback from some of you (my readers) in my emails that I typically go soft on people/situations. Well, while I agree with a lot of that, as I have replied too, most of my writings typically reflect the type of person I am and I think it can be safely said that I take a lot of time to give a verdict (especially against anyone).
You can interpret my passivity either way - for, it can be interpreted subjectively - could be right or wrong (depending on what you think( but my rationale is that I need loads of incontrovertible evidence to overturn my default theory that people are typically nice and atleast, open to improvement, and also where criticism or pulling them down is not our call since we might not know things well enough.
Let's say, it is like those marginal DRS calls - where a catch might ostensibly be taken/claimed as the umpire might deem it not out (if not sure). This means the soft signal is Not Out, and the third umpire would need incontrovertible evidence to then overturn that default decision, which means that even in a 50-50 case, the default shall prevail and the batsmen would be counted not out, unless decisively proven otherwise. Likewise for my approach in life, with my soft signal being not wrong unless there is enough evidence to overturn my view.
Okay, that aside, I must also make one more thing amply clear: I have always been a huge MSD fan, as you can also see by the number of times and the types of things I have covered on him within this blog too. To say that he has been among the most iconic and successful Indian captains (and cricketers) ever - heck, he would even feature in an all-time most successful list of cricketers/captains the world has ever seen - would be an understatement!
However, some things have truly hurt and disappointed me as his fan and as someone who would love to speak of him as an idol, worth emulating and learning from.
For long, people have admired most for his equanimity and equilibrium, even more than his cricketing acumen or his brilliant batting or his safe 'keeping or his supersonic stumpings/run-outs. Everyone would agree that he is in the league of people like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman - who are cricketing legends but are still seen as even better persons and role models, thanks to their impeccable behavior and conduct.
I'm afraid the past few months have made me take a stand against MS Dhoni on one aspect: his conduct against umpires.
As I said, my thoughts are not based on only how he behaved with Paul Reiffel yesterday (when he was about to CORRECTLY signal (and had already half-signalled) a wide but because this is sadly, not a one-off.
This had happened last year too, in the IPL - at that time, umpire Ulhas Gandhe was at the receiving end, and MSD was not even on the playing field! He charged from the dugout to voice his objection to the umpire in the field of play.
As I said, there are multiple instances - you can find these most prominent ones listed here. Hopefully, this stays at that, and remains an exhaustive list with no further additions. But there is no doubt now, that the much-famed coolness and equanimity seem to desert him especially when he and/or his team are in a precarious position with form or match-situation. While it is only natural to feel disappointed or even upset at a decision then, it is quite unbecoming to argue, object aggressively and even force the umpire to overturn his decision!
This is where you would never have found Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid behaving poorly. And they played at a time when, unlike today, there was no DRS! And Sachin has famously received some extremely poor decisions (sure, like many other batsmen must have, and like any batsmen who would play as many as he did, might get) and he naturally felt aggrieved and upset but just that. Think of the most horrendous decision and he would only raise his eyebrows a wee bit more, pause and wonder at his fate for some more seconds but still, walk back without remonstrating and with all his grace and dignity, like a true gentleman. This is why, even after they have retired, even if/when their records get broken, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid will far outllive and outshine every other cricketer as role models because how fool-proof and impeccably correct they were, not just in their batting but most importantly, in their conduct.
That's it. This article was not to castigate Dhoni as such but to ensure that as people who have celebrated his many other qualities, we must acknowledge where he is wrong too, especially when it has been observed across multiple instances. Such an understanding and admission will help not just in assessing him but also in ensuring that our love for our stars and idols does not eclipse their transgressions and discipline.
Dear MS, you are a sporting hero. Please remember that before calling you a hero, we are calling you sporting. It might help to remember that sporting does not just refer to a game but to a way of life and deportment. So be sporting first, and only then will you truly be a hero. Wish you more patience, discipline and equanimity!
