INDIA: CRICKET: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni says all players fit for World Cup seimi-final against Pakistan
Record ID:
1377632
INDIA: CRICKET: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni says all players fit for World Cup seimi-final against Pakistan
- Title: INDIA: CRICKET: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni says all players fit for World Cup seimi-final against Pakistan
- Date: 30th March 2011
- Summary: MOHALI, PUNJAB, INDIA (MARCH 29, 2011) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) ***QUALITY AS INCOMING*** MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI, CAPTAIN OF INDIAN CRICKET TEAM, SITTING FOR THE NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIAPERSONS SITTING A JOURNALIST ASKING A QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI, CAPTAIN OF INDIAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING: "Well, you know, when you talk about the hype and the pressure and everything else, you know, one thing for sure, whether you are thinking about it or you are not thinking about it, I don't think it really helps you perform. So, you know, what's not helping you perform is a thing that needs to be kept away and what needs to be done is topping of the skills, having a close look at the players as to how fit they are, and if anything needs to be done, and these are the vital areas where we have been focusing so far, not thinking about all the other things that are going around cricket because I don't think they'll help us in any way to perform on the field." MEDIAPERSONS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI, CAPTAIN OF INDIAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING: "Well, as of now everybody seems fit so hopefully everyone will be fit." A CAMERAPERSON TAKING PHOTOGRAPH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI, CAPTAIN OF INDIAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING: "I think they are a very good bowling attack, they have got bowlers who can bowl quick and at the same time their spinners have been doing really well, and they have got part-timers, who can contribute. It's quite similar to the sub-continental team where the part-timers usually are the off-spinners or the left-arm spinners or leg-spinners, who often contribute and since they have a couple of bowling all-rounders with Razzaq and Afridi, that gives them the liberty of playing with more than five bowlers." MEDIAPERSONS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI, CAPTAIN OF INDIAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING: "We all know it's a big tournament, we have prepared a lot for it and it's better to take it one game at a time. You know, we are playing the semi-finals but the most important thing is, you know, how we prepare yourself, irrespective of what state it is, I think you need to prepare in the same way and that's what we have been doing for the past few days." CAMERA PERSONS STANDING WITH THEIR CAMERAS DHONI SITTING
- Embargoed: 14th April 2011 09:46
- Keywords:
- Location: India, India
- Country: India
- Topics: Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA1VJ28NLCZVQHHZMV6DN89R05K
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Playing down the hype surrounding the semi-final showdown with arch-rivals Pakistan, Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said all players are concentrating on polishing their skills.
While addressing a news conference in Mohali of India's northern Punjab on Tuesday (March 29), Dhoni confirmed all the Indian players were fit for Wednesday's match.
Dhoni said : When you talk about the hype and the pressure and everything else, you know, one thing for sure, whether you are thinking about it or you are not thinking about it, I don't think it really helps you perform. So, you know, what's not helping you perform is a thing that needs to be kept away and what needs to be done is topping of the skills, having a close look at the players as to how fit they are, and if anything needs to be done, and these are the vital areas where we have been focusing so far, not thinking about all the other things that are going around cricket because I don't think they'll help us in any way to perform on the field," said Dhoni. "Well, as of now everybody seems fit so hopefully everyone will be fit," he added.
Dhoni praised Pakistan's bowlers. "I think they are a very good bowling attack, " he said. "They have got bowlers who can bowl quick and at the same time their spinners have been doing really well, and they have got part-timers, who can contribute. It's quite similar to the sub-continental team where the part-timers usually are the off-spinners or the left-arm spinners or leg-spinners, who often contribute and since they have a couple of bowling all-rounders with Razzaq and Afridi, that gives them the liberty of playing with more than five bowlers."
"We all know it's a big tournament, we have prepared a lot for it and it's better to take it one game at a time. You know, we are playing the semi-finals but the most important thing is, you know, how we prepare yourself, irrespective of what state it is, I think you need to prepare in the same way and that's what we have been doing for the past few days."
India defeated Australia, winners of the last three World Cups, in the quarter-finals. Pakistan beat West Indies convincingly in the other quarter-final. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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