Dhoni blasts Asia Cup schedule

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-30  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

INDIA captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni criticized the Asia Cup schedule after his team played three matches in four days.

"I am not happy with the format of the Asia Cup," Dhoni said after India defeated Bangladesh in the first Super Four match by seven wickets in Karachi on Saturday. "We played 36 hours of cricket in the last 84 hours and it's really getting tough on the players."

India defeated Hong Kong in its first Group B match on Wednesday before beating arch-rival Pakistan the following day.

"The players are quite tired if you play too many matches in a short span," Dhoni said.

Indian fielders have dropped several chances - including two missed opportunities for Gautam Gambhir against Bangladesh - and Dhoni suggested tiredness was a cause.

"Each and every player was tired on the field after playing three games in a short time and perhaps that was the reason that we missed chances," Dhoni said.

India will now have three days off before taking on Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who were meeting yesterday, in its remaining two Super Four matches on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

The top two teams from the Super Four stage will meet in the final on July 6.

On Saturday, Suresh Raina continued his fine form, scoring a second tournament century to power India to victory.

Together with opener Gambhir (90), the pair put on a third-wicket stand of 139 to help India to 284 for three from 43.2 overs in reply to Bangladesh's 284 for six.

The partnership overshadowed a maiden century from allrounder Alok Kapali who scored a powerful 115 to steer Bangladesh to a fighting total.

Mohammad Ashraful, the Bangladesh skipper, described Kapali's innings as one of the best he had seen for Bangladesh but rued his side's missed chances.

"We had a good total thanks to Kapali but our fielders didn't support the bowlers. Maybe if we had got Gambhir and Raina early it could have made a difference," he said.

Raina, who notched 101 against Hong Kong and 84 against Pakistan earlier in the tournament, hit 11 fours and three sixes on his way to an unbeaten 116 to spoil Kapali's day.

India took its points tally to four with the win as it carried forward two points from the victory against Pakistan in the group match.