Dhoni optimistic of bringing home Champions Trophy

“The Indian team did very well in limited-overs cricket in 2007-08. Winning the one-day series in Australia was a monumental achievement. Not only did we beat the World Cup winners, but also Sri Lanka , which was runner-up in the Caribbean,” said the buoyant India captain.

“We would like to continue in the same vein and take the ICC Champions Trophy home with us to India,” Dhoni added.

Dhoni would be eager to make up for the Bangladesh disappointment where his team thoroughly dominated the tournament only to lose to arch-rivals Pakistan in the final. Meanwhile, amid reports of a possible boycott by leading Australian cricketers because of security concerns, captains of all the major teams today issued a statement throwing their weight behind the Champions Trophy.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his side was already focused on retaining the trophy, the second most important tournament after the World Cup.

“The Champions Trophy is the number two one-day tournament on the calendar behind the ICC Cricket World Cup and it is for this reason that our players will ensure they are at the peak of their form to take on the world’s best in this format of the game.

“We are particularly focused on performing well this year in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and I am excited by the prospect of some new Australian players having the opportunity to be tested against the world’s best 50-over players,” Ponting said.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said he and his team would do everything to win the title before the home crowd.

“This is the biggest cricket event to come to Pakistan in more than a decade. I am sure that there will be a fantastic atmosphere for all the games and that the people of Pakistan will make it a happy and memorable event,” he said.

“The fact we beat India earlier this week, which showed what a good side it is when it beat Australia earlier this year, means that it will be very difficult to predict the outcome of matches. I think this could be one of the most closely contested tournaments for a long time,” Malik said.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith said the format would require his team to stay on top of their game. “Having won it once before (in 1998) we are obviously keen to do so again and it is important that we take the extra step because we have been in a lot of semi-finals without going to the final stage,” he said.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle said with his team doing well in the last two editions, all he wanted was to carry forward the momentum.

“In 2004 it was great feeling to be part of the team which won that amazing final against England at The Oval. I will always remember that day and cherish those memories. Two years later we went close again, only to lose to Australia in the final in India.

“We believe we have the right combination and all the players know their roles and responsibilities. You can expect the West Indies to be bold and brave in the ICC Champions Trophy 2008,” the left-hander said.

England captain Paul Collingwood said his team was fancying its chance after they gathered good knowledge about conditions in the sub-continent.

“We have come close to winning the Champions Trophy before and would love to go one better this time. In England, in 2004, we played some excellent cricket beating Australia

in the semi-final and were very disappointed to lose to West Indies in the final after getting ourselves into a very good position to win the game.

“Most of our squad have the experience of playing in Pakistan. We have played plenty of cricket in the sub-continent in recent years so I am sure we will be able to adjust to the conditions quickly and we will be very keen to make a big impact on the tournament,” Collingwood said.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said the Kiwis are eager to make an encore of their 2000 triumph. “We have been a good one-day side for several years and to vindicate our world ranking we need to win a major tournament. We have made the top-four several times in recent years at ICC events without going any further. This is an opportunity to put that record behind us,” he said.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said Champions Trophy gave him and his team an opportunity to test skills against the best in the world and they would do everything to come out with flying colours.