MS Dhoni has raised the captaincy bar: Zaheer Abbas

Former Pakistani cricketer and batting legend Zaheer Abbas has heaped a lot of praise on former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. This praise from Abbas comes after the 35-year old Dhoni stepped down from his position as Indian captain. Abbas believes that Dhoni has set a new bar for the captaincy in the seven odd years that he has captained the Indian team.

“He (Dhoni) has given an outstanding contribution to Indian cricket team in all three formats and won so many matches.  Indian team has touched new heights under his leadership. It will not be easy to emulate his success,” Abbas told PTI.

Abbas also recalled the 2005-06 tour where Dhoni announced himself as a top batsman for Indian cricket. “I remember the 2005-06 tour when he hit a 46-ball 72 to guide India to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in Lahore and became a star when General Pervez Musharraf had praised his long locks and advised him not to cut his hair,” Abbas said.

He also added that producing captains of such quality were an incredibly difficult thing to do. He also added a line on the finishing ability of Dhoni. “It is difficult to produce captains like him but he is equally good as a batsman and that is the most remarkable thing about him. Whenever India was in trouble, he led from the front and made runs. He is a proven match finisher and it is such a delight to watch his batting,” he said.

Finally, he added a sentence or two on Dhoni and his character. “He is a very nice man and down to earth. He has achieved so much as a captain but success has never gone over his head.  He had remained captain cool in most tense and pressure situations and it is a rare quality,” he said.