Michael Hussey calls MS Dhoni an inspirational leader; says he loved playing under him

What’s the story?

Former Australian cricketer Michael Hussey has lauded former India captain MS Dhoni, stating that he was an inspirational leader and he loved playing under him. The 41-year-old played under Dhoni during his time at the Chennai Super Kings.

“Dhoni was an inspirational leader and I loved playing under him. He gave the players perspective and made them realise that though cricket is important, it is not the most important thing in a person's life,“ Hussey told Times of India.

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On Wednesday, the Ranchi-born cricketer decided to give up captaincy in the limited-overs format, after being at the helm for a duration of 9 years.His decision was met with sad emotions among his massive fan base, while a few others felt that this could help the 35-year-old focus on his batting and perhaps we could see a revitalised Dhoni in action from here on in.

The heart of the matter

Hussey further stressed that Dhoni was just a great captain, but also a fine man and praised his ability to help the players remain relaxed, which was not an easy thing to do in a country like India.

“He has helped the Indian team to so much success in all forms of the game, but an even better person with a great family . His calmness...he had this amazing ability to help players relax, enjoy the game and not put too much pressure on themselves, which is not that easy in a place like India where cricket is a religion,” he said.

What’s next?

At the announcement of the squad for the limited-overs series against England, starting next week, Virat Kohli was revealed as the full-time skipper of the Indian Cricket Team and it will now be interesting to see how he leads this side, whether he would be able to carry forward his excellent run as Test skipper into the shorter formats as well.

Sportskeeda’s Take

When a player of the stature of Dhoni takes a decision as significant as this, it is bound to gather reactions from various quarters. Hussey's words about Dhoni only further epitomises he had as a leader not just among players in his own country, but also overseas.