Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s insights into the game are unparalleled. Many cricketers who have shared a dressing room with him either for the national team or in the Indian Premier League attest to this. But despite retiring from all forms of international cricket, Dhoni has never ventured into the comms box like other legends of hte game like Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri.
Why?
In a conversation with commentator Jatin Sapru, MS Dhoni revelaed why he has stayed away from commentary.
“It’s a very difficult thing, you know. Commentary is very difficult. I feel there is a very fine line between describing the game and, in that process, getting into a zone where you start criticizing individuals who are actually playing. It’s a very thin line, and often you don’t even realize that what you are doing might be borderline wrong. I would always prefer to be on the side where you are simply describing the game. If you feel something is wrong, you say it—but how you put it is an art. How do you put it forward politely so that nobody feels targeted, but the message still gets across? If a team is losing, there are reasons behind it, and you need the skill to address those reasons without making anyone feel bad. To me, that is the true art of commentary,” Dhoni said.
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Dhoni also mentioned how he was not good with stats.
“The other problem is stats. I know commentators get fed a lot of statistics from the backend team, but I’m just not good with stats. If you ask me about my own stats, I’ll be lost! Then there are people who know stats not just for the Indian team, but for everyone across every era. Those are the people who are brilliant at commentary because they can speak to those details,” Dhoni said before ending his response with a joke: “Honestly, I would rather go to Japan!”
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Over the course of the conversation, Dhoni also added: “I also know one thing I’m terrible at: answering the phone. I’m not good at that way of communicating. I’m the type of person who prefers sitting down in person; I like to sit across from someone and speak to them. I’m not great over the phone because I can’t see a face or get a feel for the conversation. I’m a very awkward guy when it comes to speaking on the phone.
“I have to do it, of course, but not to the extent where I’d say I’m even decent at it. It’s something I want to improve, but in a way, I’m glad I haven’t. When mobile phones first came out, they were for the benefit of the person who owned them. Now, your mobile phone is for everyone else’s benefit.”
