England captain Alastair Cook in action during second Test vs Sri Lanka
© AP
Leicester: A day ahead of the start of a long tour in England under tough conditions, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that quality players should not be dumped on the basis of one poor series and they should be backed to return to form. (Read: England coach Peter Moores won't take captaincy off Alastair Cook)
"I think it's very important to back players. It does not matter whether he is the captain of the side or a batsman or a bowler," Dhoni said at his first press conference after arriving in England on Wednesday. (Read: Injury scare for Shikhar Dhawan ahead of England Tests)
With an aim to bury the ghosts of a disastrous tour of 2011, a new-look Indian cricket team would be eyeing a positive start to their two-and-a-half-month long tour of England in their three-day practice game against Leicestershire that started on Thursday. (Read: Indians dominate in practice match against Leicestershire)
Cook's poor form played a major role in England's first Test series defeat to Sri Lanka on home soil.
Asked about his counterpart, Alastair Cook, whose poor form played a major role in England's first Test series defeat to Sri Lanka on home soil, Dhoni said he expected the home side to back the beleaguered captain.
Cook, who played a major role in England's 4-0 rout of India in 2011, was out of sorts against Sri Lanka.
"A bad phase is something that every player goes through and you just need to back players at the right point because when you are getting those big hundreds and two-hundreds then everybody will be on your side," said Dhoni.
"What's important is for the media to realise what they were saying about him the last time we were here how well he has performed. But the real test of character is when your fans or the media or your team-mates are supporting you when you are not doing well."
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