JOIN USChennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming feels that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is good enough to continue as a captain for three years but the New Zealander is not sure “whether he can continue playing all three formats” for that long a time.
“I haven’t spoken to him on this issue. He is in fine shape and if he is fit, he can continue to lead for another good three to four years. Having said that, I don’t know how long he will be playing all three formats. It’s pretty hard as India have such a tight schedule,” Fleming told PTI during an interaction here on Saturday.
Fleming has been the coach of CSK for six seasons now and shares a great rapport with Dhoni.
“What I try to provide MS is with two months of enjoyment, so that he can come into the Chennai side having taken a break from the Indian team. He loves his game and looks pretty comfortable winning games for Chennai consistently,” Fleming said.
But Fleming, who captained New Zealand close to a decade, feels that an international skipper has a shelf life of four years and beyond that can create some problems. “Look, Dhoni and Graeme Smith has been exceptions but I feel that an international captain has a shelf life of four years. After that it is easier to get back as another normal cricketer,” Fleming added.
“If you have been the leader for too long, then it becomes difiicult once you leave the job. You tend to miss the decision making authority and stuff like that. In fact, I faced similar problems after I quit captaincy,” he said.