BCCI must bring team back on the winning track: Azhar

NASIK: Member of Parliament and former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin castigated the Indian cricket team currently touring Australia for its abject capitulation. "Seven consecutive losses, that too with a huge margin, on foreign soil is simply not acceptable. The Board (of Control for Cricket in India or Bmust intervene and see how the team can be brought back on the winning track," he said.
He was here in connection with a prize distribution ceremony of the Nashik district-level tennis ball cricket tournament organized by the Bhujbal Foundation as part of its annual social and cultural show, the Nashik Festival.
On M S Dhoni's leadership, Azhar said, "He must be faulted for his baffling tactics. When the team had to adopt 'attacking tactics', he strangely goes on the defensive and vice-versa. But the more serious offence is his failure to inspire the team when the chips are down." He questioned his timing of calling it quits in Tests in 2013, when actually he should have been concentrating on the Perth Test.
On the seniors in the team, the former captain who has played 99 Tests for India before being sacked for alleged involvement in match-fixing, said, "They must perform or make way for youngsters who are cooling their heels for so long. Enough of playing on reputation."
But he refrained from advising them to retire. "Who am I to say the seniors must step down? They should realize when to bid goodbye," he added.
Azhar has a unique record of scoring three successive centuries in his first three Tests and also had scored the fifth fastest Test century (69 balls) against South Africa.
He praised the Indian Premier League (IPL) but warned that there should be a balance between Tests & T20 matches. He advised youngsters to play the longer version of the game and reminded them that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and many others have come after successful T20 careers.
He said his political innings were planned and not accidental, and he was aspiring to rise. But would he like to return as an administrator, selector or coach? His reply was a firm 'no'.