'Dhoni transformed from villain to hero in seconds'

Former players and writers take up the cudgels for and against the issue surrounding Ian Bell’s reprieve at Trent Bridge

01-Aug-2011″It was very naive of me to assume the ball was dead. I didn’t hear the umpire call ‘over’. To walk off for tea was stupid. I have learned a lot of lessons.”
“Bell would be having tea now.”
“I think if there were more captains like Dhoni you could get back to the days of the phrase, ‘It’s just not cricket.’ He’s set an example for the other captains.”
“If it was me I’d have run him out and let him think long and hard about remaining in his crease until the ball is dead while sitting on the balcony watching others score the runs he should have.”
“Dhoni did a great job by recalling Bell to bat after tea. According to law, Bell was rightly given out but he never intended to take the fourth run. It shows a great spirit from the Indian team.”
“On behalf of the ECB I wish to express the England and Wales Cricket Board’s grateful thanks to the BCCI and the India team.”
“All I can say is, thankfully it was the Indian players who had to make the call not the BCCI!”
“There are times when it’s your inner call that tells you what is right. I really appreciate Dhoni’s decision to call Bell back.”
“Ian Bell was being very casual, almost careless, walking off before a definitive call from umpire for boundary or tea and deserved to be out.”
“The big issue about ‘the run out that wasn’t’ hasn’t been mentioned yet. I had already started a cheese sandwich, so it was definitely tea.”
“There is no black and white here. We all feel warm and fuzzy, but Ian Bell has learned a good lesson – don’t be dozy.”
“It wouldn’t have been nice if it happened to one of our batsmen, and when you see it on TV, probably the right thing was done.”
“As a captain I think I would have appealed just as Dhoni did – he had every right to appeal. But I also think I would have been talked around at tea time for the good of the game. “
“Dhoni transformed from dastardly villain to sporting hero in seconds. Hurrah for him and for Test cricket. What human activity comes close?”
“It’s a strong statement to captains around the world to play a certain way. If spirit of cricket existed you wouldn’t have half the appeals.”