Embattled Dhoni is finding out that the Boss has changed

There was a time not so long ago when in the eyes of BCCI officials, Mahendra Singh Dhoni could leap over buildings, run faster than a bullet train, shoot lasers from his eyes, solve the deepest mysteries of the universe and even take a trip to the moon and back in the matter of seconds. And then there was the matter of finishing games with sixes; winning World Cups and taking India to no.1 in Tests. Simply put, he was superhuman and he could do no wrong. Dhoni’s success on the field was reaping benefits off the field too. The India captain was the only Indian sportsperson on the Forbes list of 100 highest-paid athletes in the world that was released in June this year. He made more money than Wayne Rooney, Dwayne Wade and Usain Bolt. But now perhaps the BCCI seems to believe that the Indian skipper has got too big for his shoes; too powerful and he needs to be cut down to size. The fact that they don’t have a clear alternative to Dhoni may be holding back their hand for the moment but they have probably managed to get a message through to the captain who very famously doesn’t even take calls from N Srinivasan, the (currently suspended) BCCI president. [caption id=“attachment_1682223” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Dhoni with the boss (?) Fletcher. Reuters[/caption] The genesis of the problem is the statement that Dhoni made in the pre-game press conference before the first ODI against England. When asked if he felt bad for head coach Duncan Fletcher, who will now have to work under Ravi Shastri, and if he sees him going to Australia, Dhoni’s response was problematic in the eyes of the BCCI – which doesn’t like players or coaches expressing any sort of opinion. “Definitely he will lead us into the World Cup,” Dhoni said. “Also he is still the boss. We have Ravi [Shastri] who will look into everything, but Duncan Fletcher is the boss. It’s not as if his powers or his position have been curtailed. I don’t know what you feel from outside, but still operations remain the same. We have a few other support staff who come into the dressing room, but overall the operation remains the same.” “It’s a bit tough on Trevor [fielding coach] and Joey [bowling coach], I know. Especially when fielders drop catches and the fielding coach has to miss the series,” Dhoni added. It was Dhoni’s way of saying that he does not like what has happened – and that is probably the most he has said on record in a long time. Usually, he would offer no comment. The most he would say would probably go along the lines: “It is the BCCI’s decision. Not my job to comment on it.” But this time, surprisingly, he felt inclined to comment. It brings up two probabilities: he feels threatened by Shastri or he is trying to prepare himself for the post-Srinivasan years. As bad as Fletcher’s stint as India coach has been – there was no mistaking the fact that Dhoni was the man controlling the dressing room. Fletcher offered advice but that is all he did. The man taking the decisions was Dhoni. Now, that may change and that is making Dhoni uncomfortable. Secondly, Srinivasan’s tenure officially ends in September. For a long time, Srinivasan’s unconditional support allowed Dhoni to function in the way he likes. Now, with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Associations chief moving to the ICC, will the next BCCI president allow him the same kind of freedom? So just in case, it isn’t the same – Dhoni is making his views on the matter known. “Dhoni is no one to comment as to who is the boss of the team. It’s not his domain,” a senior BCCI office-bearer told PTI on Monday. “What happened is very disappointing and unbecoming of an Indian captain. The matter will come up for discussion at the next working committee meeting of the board. Obviously, Dhoni has overstepped his brief as an Indian captain. The media can ask him any question but being a matured cricketer, he should know what his lines are. Just like BCCI officials are not going to decide who is in the playing XI, Dhoni does not decide who is going to stay till what time,” the official further said. A lot of people have said that this is a BCCI vs Dhoni battle but who are they kidding? Dhoni can’t take on the BCCI while the BCCI can take on Dhoni and win as we have seen them do against so many other players. The players have no association to take on the BCCI – they are just individuals against the united official might of the BCCI. Never in the past has the BCCI questioned Dhoni publicly. They even put aside inquires into the spot-fixing scandal because they didn’t want to disturb his concentration during a tour; his conflict of interest case sank without a trace. His close ties to Srinivasan helped of course. But now, he may have to stand alone. And that is never a comforting thought.