11 February,2011 08:38 AM IST | | Sai Mohan
Besides Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin, every player in India's World Cup squad has been in and around the national set-up for half a decade. That, according to skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will be the clinching point for the hosts ahead of the mega event that starts February 19.
"Almost everyone in this squad has been around for at least five to seven years. For me, that is the good thing. Sure, there will be a lot of pressure but the experienced team that we have knows how to handle pressure; have been in tough situations in the past," Dhoni said at a packed press conference that attracted about 120 reporters and 45 TV cameras here yesterday.
Dhoni, 28, appearing in his second World Cup, said he was satisfied with the schedule, which has incidentally drawn a lot of criticism from a few teams for the six-day gap in some matches. "It is very difficult to put together a perfect schedule and format. A tournament schedule will be either too long or too short. You can't always get what you want," he said.
However, he would miss his lucky charm Praveen Kumar. "He (PK) will be missed. He's a very smart bowler and knows how to bowl in these conditions," he said of the injured fast bowler.
