Peter Roebuck criticizes Dhoni over Daryl Harper saga

Peter Roebuck

Peter Roebuck is a known name in Cricket Journalism and has pointed views about cricket in the sub-continent especially. He plies his trade with various news agencies such as Cricinfo, ESPN-Star Sports, Sydney Morning Herald and The Hindu. He is also a well know TV & radio commentator. He has criticized Mahendra Singh Dhoni heavily for his approach towards the game with a reference to his team’s conduct in the just concluded Test series against West Indies. Roebuck said that Dhoni tolerated his team’s “insulting conduct” towards Daryl Harper in the second Test match played at Kensington Oval. Daryl Harper withdrew from the last Test match voluntarily citing “selective management” of the ICC.

Roebuck’s comment come in the absence of censure towards the Indian side for making harsh comment’s upon Daryl’s performance. Dhoni lead this frontal attack upon Harper during and after the match. India’s frontline pace bowler Praveen Kumar was suspended from bowling in the first innings after two warnings for running on the danger area. In response to this, Dhoni exchanged a few words with Harper pointing out that the team had had problems with him in the past. Roebuck points out that there is no room for such exchange of words with the authority of the umpire in the laws.

Roebuck further blamed India’s strategy in avoiding the use of DRS themselves and then fashioning themselves as victims. Roebuck said in his article in The Hindu, “Harper is a good man and an accident prone umpire. Regardless, he was duly appointed by the game’s governing body and ought to have been treated with respect. Moreover, he could not seek assistance from replays because India had rejected the DRS.”

Peter Roebuck admitted that Dhoni’s team had done the game good service over the years but as champions more is expected out of them. Roebuck had joined the panegyric to Dhoni post his world cup success. He had said in another article, “Even in the toughest times, too, he [Dhoni] manages to convey composure. Throughout, his players felt their captain remained on the bridge and the situation was under control.”

Roebuck also criticized Dhoni for a “selfish” approach in the last Test match. Roebuck believed that by not chasing a possible win, Dhoni denied millions of viewers and the paying public their due. Roebuck’s comments contain an element of honesty but have been presented in an exaggerated and over the top manner. However, given the partial treatment Indian cricket is receiving from the governing body, such exaggeration has become the ornament of many critics including Tony Greg and Geoffrey Boycott.