I'm not a 'keen watcher' of cricket, says Dhoni

New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) He may have taken the cricket world by storm but India's ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni confesses that he is "not a keen watcher" of the game, except when Sachin Tendulkar is on the field.

"I'm not really a keen watcher of cricket. Even in the last World Cup, in South Africa, I just watched Sachin (Tendulkar) bat. The last game we played, we lost to Australia, and I only watched Sachin bat. I cannot sit in a chair and watch," Dhoni said.

The 26-year-old wicket-keeper batsman also said he did not study cricket off the field but learnt it only while playing.

"I don't study cricket too much. Whatever I have learned or experienced is through cricket I've played on the field, and whatever little I have watched. And statistics, I know nothing. If you ask me 'Who is the first player to do this or that?' you won't get anywhere close to a correct answer from me," he was quoted as saying by 'Cricinfo' website.

Dhoni felt Anil Kumble, who is India's Test captain, has better communication skills than him and said he was learning a few things from the leg-spinner.

"He's (Anil) a great guy, leads from the front. He's the sort of guy, if he's on the field, he's always there to win a game. Even if the opposition needs one run to win and they have 55 balls, if he's bowling, he will look to get the batsman out.

"He's like, 'Till they win, I'm not losing'. His communication is a lot better than mine. It's one of the things I'm learning and should learn. The rest I think we're the same. I think communication-wise he's a lot better than me," he said.

Email this article to your friend -