Why silence is now Mahendra Singh Dhoni's enemy

He can no longer afford silence. Mahendra Singh Dhoni isn’t a disinterested bystander to the craziness that is unfolding around him. The question of integrity and credibility aside, it is now a matter of self-preservation for the Indian captain. The Supreme Court has taken an unprecedented approach to salvaging the cricket establishment in India; and the cleanse promises to unearth much of the rot so far well-hidden under the spanking carpet. Dhoni, by denying the existence of corruption and by his association with the main perpetrator, N Srinivasan, is now laid open to scrutiny. And it could only be a matter of time before this scrutiny becomes official. The Mudgal report has already pointed out his concealment of Gurunath Meiyappan’s role in Chennai Super Kings; the prosecution is not going to let this one be brushed away in hurry. [caption id=“attachment_1453499” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] MS Dhoni can’t afford to stay silent any longer. Getty Images[/caption] No, he cannot afford silence. He has often used it as a tool, a shield, but, at this point, it suggests culpability and complicity. Instead, he has to act: For his team, the sport, the fans and the cap that he wears as he leads the country in its favourite sport. Mostly, though, for himself. He has become irrevocably linked to this scandal. The only way for him to recover some dignity is through accepting the situation and behaving in a way that behooves his position. The favoured route would be transparency. If the shoe fits, confess - do a Lance Armstrong and say mea culpa. That is the worst-case scenario for both him and his fans but there is an unburdening that truth allows as well as a respect that it earns. Or, if he continues to plead innocence, he should allow investigation to take its course, promising complete cooperation. This brings him closer to blamelessness than self-denial will. Given his contribution to Indian cricket and his beloved status among the fans, this is what is desired from Dhoni. But this is also the tougher road. The other, less self-exposing but equally painful path is to step down as Indian captain. He can plead conflict of interest - out of an inexplicable sense of loyalty to the BCCI president - and refuse to continue in a leadership position. It cannot be easy to lead when his standing is blemished by these allegations. Either way, he faces a harsh reality: N Srinivasan is unlikely to stay the lord of all he surveys; therefore, he will soon be unequipped to protect those that have been protecting him. Also, if Srinivasan does go down, he will take many down with him. Whether the relationship between the two was just commercial or borne out of ‘knowing too much’, it is no longer one that can be flaunted on any resume – least of all Dhoni’s. India is a country that forgives easily, especially those who make themselves vulnerable to punishment. There’s a lesson in this for the Srinivasan-tainted. Dhoni, hopefully, will learn this quickly. The author writes on popular culture, cricket and whatever else takes her fancy. She tweets @abbykhaitan