Dhoni told to put country first

At last some sense in the Indian Premier League. VB Chandresekar, the director of cricket operations for the Chennai Super Kings, runners-up in this year's IPL and one of the eight teams in the first Champions League in December, has said that MS Dhoni, the India one-day captain and wicketkeeper, should prepare for India's Test against England and miss the final games of the Champions League.

You will recall that it was decided last week that the eight-day Champions League would be shoehorned into an eight-day gap between the one-day and Test series between England and India. It is surely only right that one of India's key men should be given time to prepare for a Test rather than playing club Twenty20. Likewise, Owais Shah and Andrew Strauss should be withdrawn from Middlesex's final games in the Champions League.

But I thought Cricinfo's photo caption was telling, presumably written from their India office as that is where the copy came from: "Mahendra Singh Dhoni might have to miss the Champions League final to turn out for India". There is almost something accusatory in that statement, as if it is a bad thing that nasty international duties get in the way of club fun. Chandresekar's view is enlightened, but I do fear that in some quarters cricket is going the way of football and the clubs will seek more control over the release of players for international matches.

Comments

[Andrew Nixon]

Which already happens for those countries that don't have any financial clout. Kyle Coetzer was called away in the middle of Scotland's World Twenty20 Qualifiers to play in a match against Bangladesh A, even though ICC rules state that release is mandatory. They couldn't even get him for the World Twenty20 itself last year.

Both Ireland and Scotland have had several problems, which reared their head the worst in Ireland's mauling by New Zealand in Aberdeen last month when they lost by almost 300 runs. Three Irishmen did score almost 300 runs between them that day - in the County Championship.

The problem will probably get worse too. With new Kolpak players a no-go from next year, the counties have their eyes on Scottish, Irish and European players, who will not be restricted under the new rules.