Doeschate questions Dhoni`s criticism of Eden track

Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders` Dutch import, all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate today took a dig at India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for criticising the Eden Gardens track last year.

Asked to comment on Dhoni`s criticism that the Eden wicket was slow and not fit for T20 tournaments, Doeschate said, "How can Dhoni criticise the wicket at Eden? The wicket at Chennai is one of the slowest in the country." On the Eden strip, he said, "It suits us and we will have home advantage." Dhoni had described the Eden strip as "ugly-looking" when it hosted an ODI and a Twenty20 International against England on October 25 and 29 last year. A few days later, when Eden hosted India and the West Indies in a Test, Dhoni criticized it for being too flat and without any turn and bounce. Doeschate, who scored two tons for Holland in the last World Cup including the one against England at Nagpur, said he was confident that KKR would reach the IPL`s final stages this time around. Interacting with reporters after practice at the Eden Gardens, Doeschate said, "We came quite close last year. This time there are some new players and I am confident that we would be able to go further in this IPL." Asked about his role, the all-rounder said, "My role is to be good support player. In the present squad we have players like Gautam Gmbhir and Jacques Kallis. Besides, new recruits like Sunil Naarain is also likely to come in handy this time. So we can push for place in the final." On mental skill coach West Indian Rudy Webster, he said, "His main job is to ensure that the whole team remains a confident unit when they take the field." About Holland not being able to qualify for the T20 World Cup, to be held in Sri Lanka later this year, Doeschate, who could not play for his country due to other commitments, said "It would have been nice if Holland could qualify for the T20 World Cup." PTI