Team India coach Ravi Shasti wants the debate regarding Mahendra Singh Dhoni's future to end as he is a cricketing great and therefore earned the right to retire when he wants to.
Speculations regarding Dhoni's future has continued following India's exit from the World Cup and they have refused to die down. With Dhoni missing one series after the other and chief selector MSK Prasad hinting at looking towards the future, Dhoni's time might be up but Shastri feels that Dhoni knows what's best for the team and he will take the call when he wants.
"Half the guys commenting on MS Dhoni can't even tie their shoelaces. Look at what he's achieved for the country. Why are people in a hurry to see him off? Maybe, they don't find enough talking points. He and everybody who knows him know he'll be going away soon. So, let it happen when it has to. Making statements at his expense is downright disrespectful.
"After 15 years of playing for India, wouldn't he know what's the right thing to do? When he retired from Test cricket, what did he say? That Wriddhiman Saha was good enough to be handed over the wicket-keeping gloves. He was correct. He's been a shadow when it comes to the team, always sharing his mind, lending his views.
"The other day, he came over to the dressing room in Ranchi to meet Shahbaz Nadeem and had a chat - how motivating is that for a guy making his debut at home. Let me say this: MS Dhoni has earned the right to retire when he wants to. And let this debate end once and for all," Shastri told Cricbuzz.
Earlier, new Board of Control for Cricket in India [BCCI] president Sourav Ganguly also hinted at the same and said that great players don't finish early.
"It depends on him. I have always said when I was left out and the entire world said 'I will never make it.' I came back and played for 4 years. Champions don't finish very quickly. I don't know what's in his mind or what he thinks about his career. But we will deal with that. he is one of the greats of the game.
India is very proud of MS Dhoni. Over the period of time, his achievements.. when you sit down and take note of what he is done... you say 'wow'. Till I am around, everybody will be respected. That doesn't change," Ganguly said in a press conference after officially taking over as the BCCI president.
Dhoni is yet to feature in any of the games for India since the World Cup and was left out of the squad for the Bangladesh T20Is as well.
