Mohammad Azharuddin feels MS Dhoni does not have the right credentials to lead the Indian Test side.

"He (Dhoni) has always been a very good captain in ODIs and Twenty20s but in Test cricket, he lacks a bit of intelligence, maybe, when it comes to taking instant on-field decisions," Azhar, a former India captain, told PTI.

 

"I feel that he is suited for ODIs and T20s but not for Test matches. I honestly believe that there should be three different captains for three formats," he said.

 

"He is a very good player. Maybe, when he doesn't have the pressure of captaincy on him, he would play differently. I think, it's very hard for anyone to say whether he is justifies his place in the Test team or not, but since he is the captain, you have to respect that."

 

Asked about the Test series whitewashes against England and Australia, he said, "Lack of confidence and lack of preparation were the key reasons. We did badly because the ball swung a lot in those conditions."

 

The Hyderabad-batsman feels Rohit Sharma should be an ideal replacement for Rahul Dravid in the Test team.

 

"Rohit Sharma should play. He is a talented cricketer and should be given a chance to play in all formats. Virat Kohli is nother good player but he is already playing which is a big bonus."

 

Azhar refused to blame the Indian Premier League for the youngsters developing poor techniques and not putting enough emphasis on the longer version.

 

"Twenty20 and Test cricket are two different formats.

 

"It's not fair to blame T20 or for that matter the IPL for the decline in quality of youngsters in Test cricket because players are different for T20s and Test matches.

 

"It should not serve as an excuse when you are not performing well. If you are a good player you should quickly adapt to different formats. Good cricketers perform well in every format."

 

A few months back, the veteran of 99 Tests was struck by the personal tragedy of losing his younger son Mohammed Ayazuddin in an accident.

 

Asked about his elder son Abbas (Asaduddin), he said, "At the moment, he is injured. He is recovering from tennis elbow. He has got a lot of talent. He started the game a bit late but he has a lot of talent."