Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar on Sunday (April 12) said MS Dhoni dragged his career for too long and the last year's ODI World Cup in England was the right time for him to call it quits.
"This guy has served to the best of his ability. He should leave cricket with dignity. I don't know why he dragged it for so long. He should have retired after the World Cup," Akhtar told PTI.
"If I would have been in his place, I would have hung up my boots. I could have played shorter formats for three-four years but I left (after the 2011 WC) as I wasn't into the game 100 per cent. So why drag?" he asked.
Considering the impact of Coronavirus outbreak on cricket, Dhoni's comeback into the Indian fold now looks very difficult.
Dhoni, who has been away from competitive cricket since India’s exit from the ICC World Cup last year, was set to lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL, in a bid to stake claim for a place in the national squad for T20 World Cup.
But now with IPL 2020 on the verge of being postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19 pandemic, his cricket future is in jeopardy.
Despite the anti-climactic turn of events, Shoaib believes Dhoni deserves a grand send-off.
"As a country, you should let him go with a lot of respect and dignity. Give him a nice send off. He has won you the World Cup and done wonders for India. He is a wonderful human being at the same time. But right now, he seems to be stuck," he remarked.
The Rawalpindi Express said Dhoni should have ideally retired after the World Cup semi-final loss against New Zealand last year.
"When he could not finish the game in the semi-final (against New Zealand). I felt he should have retired but he can only answer why he didn't."
"He should have played a farewell series after the World Cup may be and then said goodbye in a manner befitting his great stature," he concluded.
