Foreign players for Ranji not a good idea

It is this very system that has produced some quality cricketers. We saw some of them in Sri Lanka, where, I am sorry, not all youngsters could grab the opportunity. It was a platform for them to excel but they did not quite measure up to the expectations.

S. Badrinath, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh have not shown the desire to build on a good start. I am convinced Badrinath and Rohit would serve the team long and that is why I want them to concentrate on every little aspect of the game. Yuvraj seems to have lost it. His focus just seems to be our of place and I feel sorry because he is such a gifted cricketer.

I can only give Yuvraj my example. My colleagues would say that I was very talented but what good was it if I did not make use of it. My contemporaries, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, made it big with their commitment while I wasted my talent and opportunities. I did not set targets, did not have ambitions and that is why my cricket too suffered. I don't want Yuvraj to go my way. He should focus on cricket and nothing else. The team needs him at this stage.

I am happy the way Munaf Patel has shown such marked improvement; Pragyan Ojha looks a bright prospect. I wish Praveen Kumar gets a decent run. Indian cricket looks healthy under Dhoni, who, as many feel, is ready to take over as Test captain. It is the right time for Dhoni to assume this responsibility.