'WC squad all but picked'
MS Dhoni believes the second one-day international against South Africa will have no bearing on India's World Cup squad selection.
India take on hosts South Africa at Johannesburg's Wanderers Stadium on Saturday in the second of five ODIs.
It will be the last 50-over match before India announce their squad for the 2011 International Cricket Council World Cup, but skipper Dhoni maintains decisions will be based on long-term form
"I don't think it is just one performance that will matter," Dhoni said.
"The guys who have worked hard throughout the year, and have delivered in the last one to one-and-a-half years will get a chance. It will be wrong if you try to select the team on the basis of one performance."
India lost the first ODI in Durban by 135 runs and Dhoni will be expecting more astute shot selection from his batsman this time around.
"Being selective is important, but positive intent is too because you can't look to [just] survive," he said.
"There will be something for the fast bowlers initially, especially if you are batting second, but you need to score runs and boundaries off the bad deliveries because that takes the pressure off you. If you are scoring at 2.5 an over, at the end of the day, you are mounting pressure on yourself."
India are using the series as an opportunity to rest key players ahead of the World Cup.
Regardless of the result, Dhoni's priority is for the team to maintain their mental discipline in the lead-up to the all-important tournament on home soil, which begins in February.
"You lose games, you win games," he said.
"What is important is to have the same mindset throughout the series. It will be very important to start afresh because whatever has happened has happened. You have to start from scratch; we just need to play to our potential."
No comments:
Post a Comment