Tendulkar can go on till 2015, says Dhoni

Mumbai: MS Dhoni has one conviction and one doubt about the World Cup. The conviction is about Sachin Tendulkar and the doubt is about himself. He revealed the two things occupying his mind at the 2011 World Cup draw ceremony here on Monday night.
Dhoni felt Tendulkar will not only play the next World Cup but also the one next to it.

"The way he is batting," Dhoni remarked, "Sachin will not only play in 2011 but also in 2015. He has the fitness and hunger."

And his doubt?
"I don't know if I will be the captain for the 2011 World Cup," he confessed while answering a query on India's chances at the quadrennial showpiece event. "As co-hosts we have a good chance and with some very good youngsters. We will have to wipe out the disappointment of 2007 but whether I will be leading the side...I don't know," Dhoni commented. Dhoni, however, had encouraging words from Ravi Shastri, the MC for the draw ceremony. The former India captain said his money for India captaincy in 15 months time from now will be on Dhoni himself.

Keeping the lessons of 2007 -- when teams like India and Pakistan got knocked out for one bad game - the organisers have prepared a draw that can protects interests of the big teams but India still are handed a tricky opener. Just like in 2007, India's first match will be against Bangladesh.

In the last edition, India were upset by Bangladesh and the result brought about their premature elimination from the tournament. This time, the India-Bangladesh game will be the tournament opener on February 17, 2011, and, what is more, it will be held in Dhaka.
The 43-day tournament, co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will have some new venues in Sri Lanka which has prepared Hambantota, Pallekele besides Colombo for the event.

India hosting 29 matches, including the final at the Wankhede Stadium in the city, will have its matches in Kolkata, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mohali, Bangalore, Chennai and Nagpur.

The length of the tournament will be shorter by a week than the previous edition and the tournament director Prof Ratnakar Shetty said he saw no reason to believe that the 2011 edition will be the last World Cup in the 50-over format.