Dhoni stresses on improved fielding by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	MS Dhoni
Event:	ICC Champions Trophy 2009/10

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DateLine: 19th September 2009

 

Indian skipper MS Dhoni admitted that his side's fielding standard need to improve considerably for it to do well in the ICC Champions Trophy 2009.

 

"Our fielding standards, compared to the ones we had in Australia in 2007, is now very different. A lot of it has to do because of different conditions in which cricketers come up," Dhoni said in a pre-tournament press conference. "I, for instance, come from a place where throwing and diving could really hurt. Newer generation of cricketers are much better in sliding and throwing themselves in the field. National Cricket Academy and all those camps have also helped," he added.

 

Dhoni said the Indians, who take on New Zealand in their only warm-up game on Sunday, cannot be expected to become the world's best side in matter of days.

 

"It's not like, we can be world beaters in seven days. We accept that. But if we can improve our standards by 10 to 15 per cent, if the fielders can push their effort by 20 per cent it would be good. That's realistic," he said.

 

Indians would be hurling themselves in practice sessions over the first five days of the next week before they meet Pakistan in a hugely anticipated tournament opener at Centurion on September 26.