“Desh badla, bhesh badlo (The nation’s changed, now change your deportment)”, says Indian one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in one of his latest advertisements. And now, he may as well add: “Ab cricket badlo (Now, let’s change cricket)”. Instead of resorting to doublespeak, Dhoni has put his mouth where his money is. Within days of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice president Rajiv Shukla saying that tired players can inform the board and opt to rest, Dhoni has done just that. That’s something not many Indian cricketers - barring Sachin Tendulkar - have ever done in the past decade and a half. Many players have confided in private that they are scared of opting out of a series simply because of the danger of players coming in their place doing well and cementing their place in the side. Of course, there’s that little matter of a few extra million rupees in the bank.

Many are critisizing Dhoni for not opting out of Bangladesh or Asia Cup instead of the crucial Lanka tour. The question I ask is, had he opted out for these two ODI series, who would have led the team? Sehwag - going 2 steps back or Yuvraj - Extended bad patch.
here, he’s atleast sure that Kumble is permanant test captain atleast for a year on and that he can afford to rest in this period.
Sceptics may also say Dhoni could well have opted out of the Bangladesh tri-series or the Asia Cup. But wouldn’t that have looked ridiculous coming on the back of the backbreaking Indian Premier League, where Dhoni earned a whopping $1.5 million? Also remember he is a successful captain in both one-day and Twenty20 cricket. Dhoni has often indicated that he is building a team for the 2011 World Cup but he also understands the importance and intrinsic value of Test cricket. His decision to skip the Sri Lanka tour is a pragmatic one, keeping in view his long career ahead.
Yes, Dhoni has the stature and the guts to take such a decision, but will others be able to do the same? Unlikely.
Here BCCI needs to take note of the issue and address the issue of player burn-out. A rotation policy and pre-informed breaks sound good to the ear, not to statistics.
It’s no secret that India is playing way too much cricket. With the IPL taking off in a big way, the calendar has got even more crowded. There are already signs of player as well as fan fatigue setting in.
The BCCI and the ICC must rearrange the playing schedule so that meaningless one-day tournaments are done away with. There must also be a rational rotation policy for players.
There are only a few players who can take the risk of opting out and be assured of their place in the team when they return. Dhoni is one of them.
His bold decision is unlikely to inspire others who have carried on playing in spite of injuries. But we hope it serves as a wake-up call to cricket administrators and selectors.