Published 19:24 IST, January 2nd 2021
Chopra questions Dhoni's inclusion in T20 Team of Decade, says 'India hasn't won anything'
Aakash Chopra said that he was 'intrigued' at the former Indian skipper MS Dhoni's selection in the ICC Team of the Decade
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Criticising the decision to include MS Dhoni in the ICC T20 Men's Cricket Team of the decade, cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra said that he was 'intrigued' at the former Indian skipper's selection. Dhoni who led India to win the inaugural season of the T20 World Cup was also chosen as the captain of the ICC Men's T20 team of the decade which also included current India skipper Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah as well. Instead, Chopra opined that English wicketkeeper Jos Buttler should have been included in the team. Chopra had earlier raised questions over the number of bowlers picked in the team as well.
“I am slightly intrigued because if you talk about T20Is in this decade, neither has India won anything nor has Dhoni done that well in T20Is. We are making a T20I team and it does not have players like Jos Buttler etc,” Chopra said in a video he shared on Facebook.
MS Dhoni, who hung up his boots on August 15 this year, is the only Indian skipper to win all the three ICC trophies. He has also led the Chennai franchise to three IPL titles and continues to lead the team still. During his career, Dhoni finished his T20I career with 1617 runs in 98 matches. He scored two half-centuries and batted at a strike-rate of 126.13.
Apart from Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers, Glen Maxwell, and Keiron Pollard were included as the batsmen in the team, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, and Lasith Malinga managed to get their space for their exemplary bowling skills. MS Dhoni was also named as the captain of the ODI team of the decade. In the ODI Team of the Decade, three players are from India - MS Dhoni (the captain), Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, while two are South African - David Warner and Mitchell Stark, two South African - AB De Villiers and Imran Tahir, Sri Lankan, New Zealander Bangladeshi and English player each i.e. Lasith Malinga, Trent Boult Shakib Al Hasan and Ben Stokes respectively.
Shoaib Akhtar slams ICC's selection
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Shoaib Akhtar said that the ICC forgot that Pakistan is also a member of the apex body and they also play T20I cricket. Questioning the exclusion of Babar Azam from the ICC T20I Team of the Decade, Akhtar stated that the ICC did not select the Pakistan captain who is currently the number one batsman in the ICC T20I rankings.
Akhtar also lashed out at the ICC for not picking even a single player from Pakistan in the ICC T20I Team of the Decade. The Pakistani veteran further said that they don’t need ICC's T20I Team of the Decade because the apex-board has announced an IPL team and not a world cricket team.
ICC T20I Team of the Decade
Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, MS Dhoni (Captain), Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, and Lasith Malinga.
19:24 IST, January 2nd 2021