MS Dhoni: ‘Pathirana should not even get near red-ball cricket’
Matheesha Pathirana “shouldn’t even get close” to red-ball cricket, within the opinion of MS Dhoni, his captain at Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023.
Pathirana, a new-gen model of Lasith Malinga, has emerged as one of many aces in Dhoni’s pack within the IPL, and picked up three wickets for simply 15 runs against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk on Saturday, bowling all his overs within the back-half of the innings.
“I personally think he is not someone who should play a lot of red-ball cricket,” Dhoni mentioned on the post-match presentation, virtually like a plea to the powers-that-be in Sri Lankan cricket. “I think he shouldn’t even get close to it. Even in white-ball cricket, the 50-over version he should play as less as possible. [He should] play the big ICC tournaments because he is not somebody who will change a lot. This [having an impact in short bursts] is what he will do, so you can always use him at crucial times.
“But be sure that he’s match and accessible for all ICC tournaments and he might be a fantastic asset for Sri Lanka. Not to neglect, he’s a extremely younger boy. Last time [in 2022], when he got here, he was barely extra lean, however he has added muscle, which implies he has bought fairly sturdy. I really feel he’ll serve for a really very long time for Sri Lankan cricket, however we’ll need to regulate how a lot he bowls.”
Pathirana was unsold within the public sale forward of IPL 2022, however was drafted in by CSK after Adam Milne was dominated out with a hamstring damage.
Last season, he had played two games for CSK, picking up two wickets. This time, he has played seven games, in which he has picked up ten wickets – all at the death – at an economy rate of 7.60, the last number made even more remarkable by the fact that he has bowled only four of his 27.2 overs this season before the 12th.
“People who haven’t got very clear [conventional] motion, batsmen discover it tough to choose them – in a format like this, the place you must go after the bowler, it makes it barely tough,” Dhoni said. “That is simply on the motion half, we’re not speaking in regards to the tempo that he bowls [at], the variations he has and the consistency he has bought. All of it makes him particular. What is necessary is to regulate how a lot cricket he’s enjoying.”
Dhoni wanted to bat but was ‘outnumbered’
It was CSK’s third win in five games at Chepauk this season, but only the second 3.30pm game that was played at the venue. With rain forecast for the evening, Dhoni said he was not sure about his decision at the toss but went with the view of the majority of the CSK think tank and chose to field.
“Frankly I used to be barely uncertain. What I wished was I wished to bat first. But the suppose tank collectively mentioned there are possibilities of rain,” he said. “I had a easy calculation. I mentioned 3:30pm the sport begins. Let’s say you win the toss and if you’re batting first, most in one-and-a-half to 2 hours the sport will get over. By the time rain comes, main a part of the sport could be achieved with. I used to be barely outnumbered, and I mentioned let’s go along with the bulk.
“If there is some kind of confusion, we sit and talk about [it]. It is not about who has said what. Ultimately, we try to decide what is best for the team and you go with the majority. It was slightly confusing because I felt the wicket will slow down and it has always been very good initially to bat on. So I strongly felt that even if rain comes, majority of the game will be done and it won’t have an impact on the game directly.”
CSK have two extra house video games left – towards Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders – and an away recreation in Delhi to finish the league stage.