Mahendra Singh Dhoni may have been forced to implement the rotational policy on senior players following a diktat by the BCCI, according to former Indian captain Bishen Singh Bedi who said the controversial policy has dented the team`s confidence. Already a big debate has started on a possible rift in the Indian cricket team after Dhoni began to rotate the senior trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir citing their lack of fielding skills.

"I think Dhoni is being misled. Who knows, he is just expressing BCCI`s diktat. I am not convinced that the players are bad fielders. If players are being rotated just for the heck of it, I am not convinced," Bedi told reporters on the sidelines of a TERI function on Wednesday. Sehwag had said that he was unaware that the reason for their rotation was because the seniors were slow fielders.

"Players such as Sehwag and Sachin have some stature. You can not just dust it. I don`t think they are slow. How many (fast fielders) you have?," he asked. Bedi said by this controversy, the "confidence of the team has been hit." Bedi also begged to differ with his former teammate Kapil Dev`s opinion that Tendulkar should have retired from ODIs after the World Cup.

"That`s Kapil`s opinion. It is Tendulkar`s prerogative when he has to call it a day. I don`t think, any of us here is in a position to say when Tendulkar should retire," he said. He also lashed out at the media for putting enormous pressure on Tendulkar to get his 100th international century. "I ask each of you. Why are you breathing on his back to get his hundred. It`s not fair. Leave the kid alone."

Bedi also felt that the BCCI should own up for India`s pathetic show in Australia, where they lost the Test series 4-0 and are not doing well in the tri-series either. "I have not heard from BCCI on India`s poor show. The Board should own up the responsibility. It does not need rocket science to know why they have lost?," he said.