Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend Michael Hussey revealed how MS Dhoni’s remarkable ability to socialise with young players, and claimed that the Indian cricket legend keeps his room open for players to walk in all day, while revealing that a lot of cricketers like smoking flavoured tobacco.
Hussey revealed that any player can go and sit in the CSK captain’s lounge room, and a lot of people bring food in which allows them to spend quality time with Dhoni.
“Dhoni is just the most amazing guy, his room is available open 24 hours a day. So, anyone can go up there and just sit. He has got his lounge room, players just sit around, they start talking cricket, some of them like the ‘shisha’, you know, the flavoured tobacco stuff. Dhoni is just the most amazing guy, his room is available open 24 hours a day. So, anyone can go up there and just sit. He has got his lounge room, players just sit around, they start talking cricket, some of them like the ‘shisha’, you know, the flavoured tobacco stuff,” said Hussey in an interaction on the ‘Overlap Cricket’ show.
Hussey Reveals MS Dhoni’s ‘I Just Want To Win Fair Play Award’ Tale
Hussey revealed a tale of how Dhoni manages to take pressure off young Indian players. The former CSK opener revealed a tale from a match between CSK and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and claimed that Dhoni left him stunned by telling the players that he only wants to win the Fair Play Award.
“He’s a special guy. He sees the game differently to most, and that’s what I love about him. I sort of see the game and I think, oh yeah, this is how it should be played or this is what you should be doing in this situation. He will almost go a 180 degree view and try and see it differently. But I think his greatest strength, particularly in a place like India, there’s so many players and there’s so much pressure and stress. And you can see these young Indian guys. They want it so bad. They’re trying so hard. There’s so much pressure on their place in the team,” Hussey stated.
“There’s a billion people watching them, huge crowds. And Dhoni’s got this beautiful way of just being able to take the pressure off. I’ll give you an example. And Dhoni, he could see these young Indians were nervous as anything. Massive game. And he goes, boys, it doesn’t matter if we win or lose today. Just go and enjoy it. Smile to the crowds. Try and execute your skills.
“But the most important thing is I want to win the Fair Play Award this year. So if you get a wicket and the umpire gives it not out, don’t argue with the umpire. Just get on with the next ball. If you get out and you don’t think you’re out, I don’t want to see any arguing. Just go and relax. And you know, that’s the way the game goes. And I remember thinking, what the heck are you talking about? If you get Chris Gayle out for a duck, kick the shirt off and swing it around. But I remember thinking, what the heck’s this guy talking about? But it wasn’t until later that I realised that he was just trying to take the pressure off these young Indian players. Just go and play,” Hussey concluded.
Hussey is one of CSK’s finest players in history and played for them from 2008 to 2013 and later returned in 2015. He has been the franchise’s batting coach in 2018.