Dhoni reveals why Yuvraj missed the World Cup bus

Says change in field restriction rules hampered part time bowlers

Press Trust of India Melbourne
Last Updated : Mar 16 2015 | 7:21 PM IST
Yuvraj Singh's 15 wickets in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was one of the major factors which contributed to Mahendra Singh Dhoni lifting the coveted trophy but the Indian captain says last edition's 'Player of The Tournament' is no longer as effective as he used to be in the current set-up.

Dhoni points to the change in field restrictions (with only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle) being precisely the reason why India lost "Yuvraj Singh, the handy left-arm spinner."

"If you see, after the rule change happened, Yuvi didn't bowl a lot. We must admit that once the rule change (field restriction) happened, it did affect his bowling although he is a regular with the ball in T20s," Dhoni said in context of whether Suresh Raina can do a "Yuvraj of 2011" in the ongoing edition.

Dhoni has never been a big advocate of the four-fielder theory as he feels that a lot of his part-time bowlers including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag became far less effective in changed circumstances.

"In the pre-field restriction days, Viru paaji, Sachin Paaji and Yuvi used to bowl a lot and we depended on them. But they were all part-timers and on good batting tracks, they would find it difficult to bowl well.

"Like Raina is a good option if there is some help from the wicket. Also, he bowls a good line to the left-handers. I felt I needed him during the Ireland game. Like Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma) are also part-timers but I can only use them when conditions are conducive," said Dhoni.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 16 2015 | 7:20 PM IST

Next Story