Former Board of Cricket Control In India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan has claimed that he stepped in with all his authority to stop the sacking of Mahendra Singh Dhoni as captain in 2011 for the Australia tri-nation One-Day International series.
The selectors' decision to remove Dhoni as captain was followed by a disastrous 4-0 whitewash in 2011 Test matches, not once but twice against England and Australia.
Srinivasan said in an interview with the Indian Express, that he stepped in to save Dhoni's captaincy. “This was 2011. India had won the World Cup. And (then) in Australia, we didn't do well in the Tests. So, one of the selectors wanted to remove him (Dhoni) as the ODI captain. The point is, how do you remove him as the ODI captain?” he said.
He also claimed that the selectors had no replacement in mind. "There was a discussion and then (before the formal meeting) I said there was no way in which he would not be a player," he said.
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Sanjay Jagdale, who was the erstwhile BCCI secretary, told Srinivasan that the selectors were refusing to maintain MS Dhoni as captain but he could continued as a player in the team. "I came and said MS Dhoni (would be the captain). I exercised all my authority as the (BCCI) president,” said Srinivasan.
The old BCCI constitution rested the power to pick teams in the president's hand. However, according to the new Lodha reforms, now the chief selector takes the final call.
The Test losses in 2011 had overshadowed the Indian team's world cup victory, which was largely credited to MS Dhoni's captaincy. “See, there was apparently some prejudice somewhere, which reflected. He (Dhoni) has won the World Cup for you. After 1983, India won it again and you say, I don't want him to be the ODI captain!” Srinivasan said.
“Left to them (selectors), they might have (dropped him as a player). I don't know. I think that was the most unfair (move) and I am glad that I stood my ground.” he added,