"I don't like the way he stands on his heels" - When one of India's greatest wicketkeepers questioned MS Dhoni's technique

Former India captain MS Dhoni was an unconventional cricketer at the international level in every sense. He developed his unique technique while batting, was an out-of-the-box captain and there was nothing traditional about his wicketkeeping style as well.

While Dhoni went on to become a legend in all departments, especially in the white-ball formats, his methods were questioned by critics during the early years of his international career. Not just his batting style, but his wicketkeeper technique was also a subject of debate during the initial years of his career on the big stage.

Back in 2006, Syed Kirmani, recognized as one of the greatest keepers India has ever produced, criticized Dhoni's wicketkeeping style. Speaking to news agency PTI, he had said (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):

"I don't like the way he stands on his heels while waiting for the ball to be delivered. A wicketkeeper should always be on his toes."

While speaking about Dhoni the stumper, Kirmani also slammed the overall quality of wicketkeeping and added:

"Nobody in world is worried about the quality of wicketkeeping. You would look for bowling, batting and fielding coaches but no coach, I am sorry to say, knows a thing about wicketkeeping. You would have specialists in all areas including diet, training, cardio-vascular and what not, but a man who is central to the team's strategy in the middle is completely ignored."

Kirmani (74) played 88 Tests and 49 ODIs for India, scoring 2,759 runs and 373 runs respectively. In Tests, he took 160 catches and effected 38 stumpings. In one-dayers, he claimed 27 catches and effected nine stumpings.

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MS Dhoni's record as a wicketkeeper-batter in international cricket

Dhoni (43) played 538 international matches for India across formats in which he took 635 catches and effected 195 stumpings. The former India captain had 256 catches and 38 stumpings in Tests. In ODIs, he took 321 catches and stumped batters 123 times. In T20Is, Dhoni claimed 57 catches and effected 34 stumpings.

The Indian legend features at No. 3 on the list of keepers with the most dismissals in international cricket. He had 829 dismissals (catches and stumpings combined) to his name. Only Mark Boucher (998) and Adam Gilchrist (995) are above Dhoni in the illustrious list.