When MS Dhoni sat out the test series against Sri Lanka, it raised more than a few eyebrows. A player voluntarily pulling out "for rest" was unheard of; it usually took a broken bone or four for them to even think about it. Also, the method of Dhoni's madness did bring forward the question to one's mind – is this guy pushing it?

In one sense, Dhoni did push it. He jocularly remarked in one press conference that it was nice of the board to have made the offer to players who were tired and he was going to take advantage of the board's niceness. Everyone, including Dhoni, knew that the board's kind offer was a veiled threat and it would be a brave (should we say 'foolish') man who took up the offer.

Thus it speaks volumes of Dhoni's current confidence and standing in Indian cricket that he was brave enough to take up the offer. He was smart enough to make the board look like kind Uncle Jack in his thank-you speech and that was enough of a defense for the board not to act tough with him. He was thanking them for being nice; how could they kick his ass?

The argument of his making himself un-available for the SL test series has two angles to it; one is whether Dhoni required the rest, and secondly, whether this signaled the start of players giving less importance to playing test cricket for the country, given the millions they can make with lesser effort in the Twenty-20 circus. As a lot of knowledgeable people point out, why couldn't Dhoni have sat out the IPL instead of the test series against Sri Lanka?

The first answer is simple; of course he required the rest. Most, if not all, of the players playing for the BCCI require rest to recover and re-energize themselves after a long, tough year of cricket which is to be followed by yet another long, tough year of cricket. It is a different matter that none of the others are going to ask for that rest.

The second answer is more complex! While the IPL bandwagon and Twenty-20 in general will give the players a huge amount of money, I don't see the players taking that money and seeking no more. The ideal situation for any player would be to get money from tests, ODIs, Twenty-20, Forty-40 and whatever else can be organized by the BCCI. The earning years for a cricketer is much lesser than that of an average government or private sector worker, and not everyone can sit in a commentary box after retiring from the game. So the thought obviously is to rake it in while the going is good.

Why couldn't Dhoni have sat out the IPL instead of the Sri Lanka test series; because he is not that dumb? It doesn't take Einstein to figure out that only a chump would throw away the money offered by the IPL and Dhoni is no chump. As for the Sri Lanka test series, his contract with the BCCI would ensure that while he doesn't receive the match fees for the series, his guarantee money still comes in. Of course, he is going to sit out from the SL series and not the IPL.

Is it wrong? That answer could differ on the basis of how self-righteous one wants to be. If one talks about playing for the country and the pride associated with it, I for one would ask that person to stop talking nonsense. One can look at money being the primary motivation and the "playing for the country" part being a perk but there are those who would stress that our cricketing gods would consider it the other way around. That is not the argument for this article and so let me just stick to my viewpoint that the players play for money and the fact that they represent India is just an added perk. I also don't see it as anything wrong because I fully back the concept of the player looking to rake in the money when he can. Everyone in this country and beyond does that.

So, I think it is not wrong for Dhoni to have sat out the Sri Lankan series. If the BCCI doesn't allow for sufficient breaks for the players, well, then those breaks just have to be manufactured and the smarter players will do that with the least effect on the money earned.

The fans have been brainwashed over the years into believing the "players serving the country" and "playing for the country" nonsense, and naturally some of them are upset at the thought that a "country" event (the SL series) has been gives lesser priority by the player.

Will more players follow the Dhoni principle in the coming future? I really doubt that many players would openly "rest" themselves from a series even if they required rest though they might resort to the safer tactics of declaring themselves injured. It is never safe to play with a cobra and even MS Dhoni might on a different day when his standing in Indian cricket is slightly different, not be so enthusiastic about it. Even if someone were tempted to do a Dhoni, he takes the risk of falling back into the group of fringe players. Unless one is a Sachin Tendulkar, berths are not reserved on the BCCI Express.

However, if they do take the risk and opt out, I doubt if that is such a bad thing because call it "rest" or "injury", the players do require doses of it from time to time and the BCCI isn't going to oblige on its own. The fans being disappointed; Oh well, they never were the priority ever in Indian cricket.