Dhoni still best in the world, claims Prasad

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Bengaluru, December 24: India selector MSK Prasad claims no wicketkeeper in the world is even close to the level of veteran MS Dhoni.

Dhoni played his final Test for India in 2014 and stepped down as one-day international captain last year.

But the 36-year-old remains a regular behind the stumps in the 50-over format and could yet retain his place for the World Cup in 2019.

"I think MS Dhoni still remains the number one wicketkeeper in the world," Prasad was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as telling reporters.

"And, day in and day out we have been seeing, even in the current T20 series [against Sri Lanka], the stumpings that he does, the caught-behinds that he takes are phenomenal, there is no comparison. I don't see any wicketkeeper who is even close to him in world cricket, forget Indian cricket."

According to Prasad, none of India's emerging wicketkeepers has convinced sufficiently to threaten Dhoni's status as the preferred ODI gloveman.

"We are grooming some wicketkeepers in India A tours," he said.

"More or less we have fixed up [our] mind till the World Cup and after that at later stages we will start grooming some of those wicketkeepers in India A tours.

"Let me tell you frankly that still those boys are not up to the levels that we have expected. We will still keep giving them chances in the India A tours and see that they are nurtured."

Source: OPTA