MS Dhoni retires from Tests: Sanjay Patel says Dhoni was calm when he informed him of his decision
MS Dhoni was calm when he broke the news
Dec 30, 2014
Sanjay Patel, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary confirmed the MS Dhoni informed BCCI of his decision to retire from the longest format only after the end of the Boxing Day Test at MCG which ended in a draw. “MS is a very practical man. Today, he called up just after the Test match in Melbourne and told me that he wanted to retire from Test cricket. “I asked him, ‘What happened are you injured or what?’ He just calmly told me, ‘No, I just want to quit Test cricket for good.” Patel said.
Patel added that he respected Dhoni’s decision even though it was abrupt, “He is an Indian captain and a distinguished cricketer. It’s his personal choice and I needed to respect that. “I asked him, ‘Is it your final decision,’ and he told me, ‘Please wait a bit as I want to inform the boys about my decision and then you can make an official announcement.’ He duly called up and told me that I have informed the boys and you can go ahead,” Patel told PTI.
Patel then revealed that the decision was not made in complete haste and that Dhoni had indicated this earlier. He said, “I was a bit taken aback by the suddenness of his statement. But we had spoken about it before the Test also.Now what transpired between us is an internal matter, but I can tell you that it wasn’t a decision taken in haste. It was done after due deliberations.”
He then spoke of Dhoni’s capability in the shorter formats and indicated that Dhoni would continue to remain leader in those formats,”You have to understand that Dhoni knows the rigours that his body has taken in Test cricket more than anyone else. But there isn’t a single murmur about his leadership in the shorter formats. There is no question of any change in that regard.”