Share

Dhoni, Brathwaite disagree over US ground

Cape Town - The decision to abandon the second T20 between the West Indies and India in Florida was met with contrasting opinions from the skippers, with Carlos Brathwaite saying the ground was unsafe, while MS Dhoni saying that it was fine.

The 'no result' meant that the Windies won the series, so Brathwaite's relief at not having to play was understandable, especially as his side's total was less than 150 and could be chased easily by the Indians.

Dhoni, on the other hand, said that the outfield was not dangerous to play on, and that he'd seen much worse in his career.

It was the third match in the space of a week, around the world, that ended due to a soggy outfield.

Brathwaite said when asked of the ground was unsafe, according to the Cricinfo website: "Looking from the pavilion, the run-ups on that side and just beside the sponsor's (painted ad on field) plus probably mid-on and then there was a little patch on the (west) side looking from the pavilion again.

"So in my opinion it was unsafe, and even if the run-ups were good and a guy hits a ball in the outfield in a fast-paced T20 game and he chases behind it and pulls something, that could be the end of a guy's career.

"So not only will we want to play, we want the facilities and the atmosphere to be as safe for everyone's career as possible. In my opinion, I don't think it was and the umpires also made that decision as well."

Dhoni, on the other hand, said: "What the umpires told us, there was not adequate equipment over here and the condition of it was quite bad, so because the conditions wouldn't improve we won't be able to play a game.

"That's a call that the match officials have to make and as far as I've played close to 10 years of international cricket and frankly I've played under worse off conditions.

"If I remember in 2011, the whole ODI series that we played in England, it was literally playing under the rain. I feel definitely the conditions... ultimately the umpires decide so they decide you play, we play. If they say okay it was unfit for play, it was unfit for play.

"It was on this (west) side where me and Bravo were standing but it was far away from all the run-ups of the bowlers. There is no Shoaib Akhtar in their team so I don't think it was a big concern."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2239 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE