New field restriction rules affected Yuvraj's bowling: Dhoni

" Raina is a good option if there is some help from the wicket.He bowls a good line to the. I felt I needed him during the Ireland game.

MELBOURNE: Yuvraj Singh's 15 wickets in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was one of the major factors which contributed to Mahendra Singh Dhoni lifting the coveted trophy but the Indian captain says last edition's ' Player of The Tournament' is no longer as effective as he used to be in the current set-up.

Dhoni points to the change in field restrictions (with only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle) being precisely the reason why India lost "Yuvraj Singh, the handy left-arm spinner."

"If you see, after the rule change happened, Yuvi didn't bowl a lot. We must admit that once the rule change (field restriction) happened, it did affect his bowling although he is a regular with the ball in T20s," Dhoni said in context of whether Suresh Raina can do a "Yuvraj of 2011" in the ongoing edition.

Dhoni has never been a big advocate of the four-fielder theory as he feels that a lot of his part-time bowlers including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag became far less effective in changed circumstances.

"In the pre-field restriction days, Viru paaji, Sachin Paaji and Yuvi used to bowl a lot and we depended on them. But they were all part-timers and on good batting tracks, they would find it difficult to bowl well.

"Like Raina is a good option if there is some help from the wicket. Also, he bowls a good line to the left-handers. I felt I needed him during the Ireland game. Like Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma) are also part-timers but I can only use them when conditions are conducive," said Dhoni.

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ICC World Cup 2015: Men who will make a difference

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Text: ET Bureau

Stephen Fleming was one of the most thinking captains of world cricket.

Let's see who the former New Zealand skipper picks as he chooses the men who will make the difference during the World Cup...

Text: ET Bureau

Stephen Fleming was one of the most thinking captains of world cricket.

Let's see who the former New Zealand skipper picks as he chooses the men who will make ..

Read More

Knowing him as I do from our time together at the Chennai Super Kings I just have a feeling he could do something special.

It is true he has nothing to prove - he won the tournament on home soil as captain with a six, for goodness sake - but he thrives on the big stage in the biggest matches.

He loves being part of and winning battles and as he showed in the 2011 final, when he pushed himself up the order, he can be a catalyst for his team.

Knowing him as I do from our time together at the Chennai Super Kings I just have a feeling he could do something special.

It is true he has nothing to prove - he won the tournament on home s..

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Everyone is raving about AB de Villiers after his world record hundred from just 31 balls - and rightly so - but Faf du Plessis can be just as effective and destructive.

I know his ability having coached him at Chennai Super Kings. He is unorthodox but very driven and he has taken his game forward with huge strides in the past 12 to 18 months.

He is capable of digging in or blitzing the opposition and he will be a wicket every opposition side will be desperate to get and get early.

Everyone is raving about AB de Villiers after his world record hundred from just 31 balls - and rightly so - but Faf du Plessis can be just as effective and destructive.

I know his ability ha..

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Everyone knows that with Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews and Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka has a batting lineup to rank with every other side.

But without the retired Muttiah Muralitharan it is their bowling that will come under the microscope and so Malinga really must deliver.

He has lost some pace and comes into the tournament recovering from injury but if he can rise to the challenge then he can lift those around him; if not, it could get ugly for an attack that otherwise lacks that X-factor.

Everyone knows that with Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews and Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka has a batting lineup to rank with every other side.

But without the retired M..

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Eoin can be a match-winner in two ways: as captain and batsman.

The team needed a breath of fresh air and someone to lead by example and his hundred in the opening match of the pre-ICC Cricket World Cup tri-series against Australia will give him confidence.

If he gets runs then others can feed off that and although it is too early to know what sort of captain he is, if he can encourage some positivity and belief then England could, just could, be contenders.

Eoin can be a match-winner in two ways: as captain and batsman.

The team needed a breath of fresh air and someone to lead by example and his hundred in the opening match of the pre-ICC Cricke..

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When Afridi is on his game he can drag the team along almost singlehandedly.

His bowling has been consistently excellent and against New Zealand late last year he also added surprising maturity to his long-forgotten batting while still retaining his devastating ability to hit hard and long.

If he shines he will also take the pressure off others and as it is his last ICC Cricket World Cup, he will want to go out with a bang.

When Afridi is on his game he can drag the team along almost singlehandedly.

His bowling has been consistently excellent and against New Zealand late last year he also added surprising maturi..

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There is lots of focus, and rightly so, on Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson, but if Taylor can complement those two at No. 4 then that really will take New Zealand to a new level.

His form at the start of last year against India hinted at what he can do, as did his barnstorming innings against Pakistan in Pallekele four years ago, and he offers skills as either a stabiliser or a devastating finisher.

He will also feed off his mentor Martin Crowe's inspiration given Crowe's role as a Kiwi talisman 23 years ago.

There is lots of focus, and rightly so, on Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson, but if Taylor can complement those two at No. 4 then that really will take New Zealand to a new level.

His for..

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There is lots of attention on David Warner and Aaron Finch at the top of the order but Maxwell is the man who, if he is hot, is capable of winning matches on his own.

I saw that first-hand in last year's Pepsi Indian Premier League when, for Kings XI Punjab, he destroyed Chennai Super Kings single-handedly.

He is unorthodox and I would use him as a floater in the order, give him license to go for his shots and fill him full of positive thoughts.

He is not a player you should count on every time but in tournaments like this, where you need big performances in big matches, he can be the difference between winning and losing.

There is lots of attention on David Warner and Aaron Finch at the top of the order but Maxwell is the man who, if he is hot, is capable of winning matches on his own.

I saw that first-hand in..

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The new, young captain holds the fortunes of the side in his hands.

The team has the potential to be a fractured environment after the omissions of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo and his ability to pull the players together and get them fighting for the cause will be fundamental.

He can do that through leadership and also through performances with bat and ball.

If he cannot lift the team through action and deed then the wheels could easily fall off.

The new, young captain holds the fortunes of the side in his hands.

The team has the potential to be a fractured environment after the omissions of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo and his abi..

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