'Srinivasan, Srikkanth saved M S Dhoni from being sacked as Test captain'

Three of India's national selectors had lost faith in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's ability to lead the Test team and had insisted on him being sacked during a meeting in Chennai in January when India was 0-3 down during the Test series in Australia.

However, BCCI president N Srinivasan nipped the move in the bud. This particular meeting of the previous committee headed by Krishnamachari Srikkanth was convened to select the ODI team for the CB series in Australia, but the roadmap of the Test team was also discussed.

Mohinder Amarnath, the North Zone selector, led the move to remove Dhoni as Test skipper and he was backed by Central Zone's Narendra Hirwani and East Zone's Raja Venkat, a selector who was part of that particular meeting told The Indian Express on Tuesday.

However, the trio didn't have the support of chairman Srikkanth and West Zone selector Surendra Bhave, the selector added.

"Sanjay Jagdale, the BCCI secretary and convener of the national selection committee, consulted BCCI president N Srinivasan who shot down the proposal. Srinivasan made it clear that though the majority of the selectors felt that Dhoni didn't inspire confidence as Test skipper the time was not right to remove him," the selector said.

On Tuesday, Amarnath told Times Now: "There were discussions to replace Dhoni and people were ready to do so but for some internal reason, it didn't happen. I will not like to divulge what were the reasons."

A senior BCCI official confirmed that the BCCI constitution does state that teams picked by the national selectors must have the approval of the board president.

Amarnath's proposal came after India lost the Perth Test by an innings and 37 runs, extending its losing streak to seven Tests in a row outside the subcontinent — three in Australia and four in England. Dhoni's scores in the three Tests in Australia read 6, 23, 57 not out, 2, 12 and 2.

... contd.

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