INDIAN TEAM SKIPPER SAYS THERE SHOULD BE MINIMUM NUMBER OF TEST MATCHES ANNUALLY. (TAPE NO: 09/)

NATURAL WITH ENGLISH SPEECH

DURATION: 1.28

SOURCE: ANI

TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS: NONE

Indian team skipper bats for Test matches.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni says there should be a minimum number of Test matches every year.

SHOWS:

NEW DELHI, INDIA (DECEMBER 28, 2009) (ANI-ACCESS ALL)

1. INDIAN PACEMAN ISHANT SHARMA ARRIVING

2. ACE BATSMAN VIRENDRA SEHWAG ARRIVING

3. SPINNER HARBHAJAN SINGH ARRIVING

4. INDIAN TEAM SKIPPER MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI ARRIVING

5. A NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

6. DHONI AND SINGH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI, INDIAN TEAM SKIPPER, SAYING: “I think it should be like in a year’s span…these are the minimum number of Test matches we should play and there are the One-Days that we are supposed to play and after that the institutions like BCCI (Board for Control of Cricket in India) or ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), if they want to play more matches, they are more than welcome, if they want to play less it can be an issue.”

8. A NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

9. A PHOTOGRAPHER CLICKING

10. DHONI

11. THE CONFERENCE

STORY: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Monday (December 28) that every country should play a minimum number of Test matches every year.

The skipper said that if the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) want them to play more Tests, it would be welcome.

“I think it should be like in a year’s span…these are the minimum number of Test matches we should play and there are the One-Days that we are supposed to play and after that the institutions like BCCI (Board for Control of Cricket in India) or ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), if they want to play more matches, they are more than welcome, if they want to play less it can be an issue,” Dhoni told reporters in national capital New Delhi.

Dhoni was awarded the Test Championship mace by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after leading his team to the pinnacle of the ICC Test rankings on Sunday (December 27).

India jumped from third in the rankings to displace South Africa at the top by clinching a 2-0 series victory over Sri Lanka.

Australia and South Africa have dominated the number one spot since the inception of the rankings in 2001.

The Indian team is scheduled to play only two Tests - against Bangladesh in January - over the next 11 months, and a proposal is now being considered to include two Tests during South Africa’s tour of the country in February.