Tendulkar offered Test, ODI captaincy


New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar will take over as the skipper of both the Test and the One-Day team.
According to sources, the selection committee has already spoken to Tendulkar and the Little Master has agreed to lead the Indian team although he will take another two days to give his final word.
Tendulkar has told the selection committee that he is willing to lead the Test and One-Day team once again but he should be appointed the captain on a series to series basis.
India Twenty20 skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be Tendulkar's deputy in both the teams, the sources added.
The post of the Indian Test and One-Day skipper fell vacant after Rahul Dravid decided to call it quits.
In a press release issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday, Dravid was quoted as saying that he now "wanted to concentrate on his game and did not want to take the additional pressure of leading the side".
Dravid had already spoken to the BCCI President Sharad Pawar on Thursday in New Delhi about his decision to step down.
The selection committee will meet on September 18 to name the team for the upcoming One-Day series against Australia and are also expected to formally announce Tendulkar's appointment as the skipper of the team.
Tendulkar has led the Indian team twice in the past and was not very successful but the thinking in the BCCI and the selection committee is that given the turmoil that Indian cricket finds itself after Dravid's 'I Quit' call, only a senior and experienced hand should be given the responsibility.
Tendulkar has already led India in 25 Tests winning four, drawing nine and losing 12. In the ODIs, too, he does not have a great captaincy record.
Out of the 73 matches that Tendulkar led India in, the team lost 43, winning 23 other matches while six ended without a result with one tie.

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/sach.../26917-13.html


Update

Dhoni frontrunner for ODI captaincy
CNN-IBN | Posted Sep 16, 2007 at 21:12 | Updated Sep 16, 2007 at 21:54
Text Size: S- / S+
Comments RSS Email Print
Ads by Google
New Delhi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is all set to be named the captain of the One-Day squad.

Dhoni will be the one who will be leading the team in the One-Dayers against Australia and Pakistan when the two teams tour India later this year.

Sachin Tendulkar, who wants to be choosy about playing in the ODIs, is likely to be offered the Test captaincy and though the Little Master is keen, he is yet to make up his mind.

On Tuesday when the selectors meet to name the teams for the upcoming home series against Australia, they will be passing on the One-Day captaincy to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The last two days have seen frenzied speculation about who will be lead India in Test and One-Dayers.

The equations have changed quite often but now the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has intervened and given a clear indication to the selectors.

Sources have confirmed to CNN-IBN that the BCCI wants Twenty20 skipper Dhoni to lead the side in the One-Dayers against Australia and Tendulkar will be handed over the reins of the Test squad.

At this moment spilt captaincy looks the most viable option.

It will give India a chance to restructure their One-Day team as players like Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid are in all likelihood not going to be there for the next World Cup.

Tendulkar has already indicated that he may take regular breaks from One-Dayers and that won't be an ideal situation for the team.

The BCCI and the selection committee is impressed with Dhoni’s overall attitude and the powers-to-be believe he is the most suitable youngster to take up this extra responsibility.

Keeping in mind the tough Test series against Pakistan and Australia, Tendulkar looks the best options for leading the team in the longer version of the game with his experience and authority.

The BCCI and the selectors are hoping that this formula will be acceptable to Tendulkar and everyone involved in this decision.

So at this moment chairman of the selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar and the other selectors are keen to test the leadership mettle of the Jharkhand batsman.

And going by the signs in the Twenty20 World Championship he may not be a bad choice at all.

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/dhon.../26948-13.html