Dhoni should concentrate on practice to retain top form

Jamshedpur, May 2 (UNI) Former captain Kapil Dev today advised Team India wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni to concentrate on constant practice to retain his top form in international cricket.

Kapil, who was here on a private visit, said experience and age were the two things needed to perform well in the highest level.

''Dhoni had age with him but he didn't have much experience. He would gather experience and improve with the matches,'' the 1983 World Cup winning captain said.

Heaping praise on the new pin-up boy of Indian cricket, Kapil said, ''Dhoni is not only the pride of Jharkhand but he is pride of India also.'' About India's chances of winning 2007 World Cup, the legendary all rounder gave one line mantra, ''Hard work is the key to success.'' Kapil also expressed happiness over spreading the sport in small cities and said, ''It is heartening to see that now cricketers are coming up from small towns which has been a good sign for Indian cricket. Earlier, the scenario was different and cricketers from big cities dominated the national scene then.'' He said in the last ten to fifteen years a number of good pace bowlers had served the Indian team. However, it was a different matter that they did not last long in the international arena, he said.

When asked about the possibility of come back of former captain Sourav Ganguly in Indian team, Kapil said the southpaw should score tonnes of runs in the domestic cricket to bounce back in the team and gave the example of Mahinder Amarnath, who, he said, created a sort of record as far as come back was concerned.

Kapil said Ganguly had scored more than fifteen thousand runs in both forms of cricket and it would be difficult for the selectors to ignore him if he could score runs.

On the Chappell-Ganguly spat, Kapil said, ''Such thing takes place and one should not give much importance to it. Instead it is better to concentrate on cricket.'' Cricket fans in the steel city jostled in Sakchi and Bistupur areas today to have a glimpse of their icon. Kapil visited four medical shops to promote Crocin.

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