Sehwag is dynamite: Irfan

Pathan Jr. talks about KP, Jayawardene, Morkel and Taylor

Having landed in Mumbai on Monday afternoon, Irfan Pathan practiced tirelessly in the sultry summer heat at the Bandra Kurla Complex ahead of the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. The Baroda pacer, who represents Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League, batted and bowled through the late afternoon till almost after sunset. Keen as he was to get as much practice as possible, the left-arm pacer obliged fans and the media during his short breaks later in the evening, even as he kept an eye on the fading light.

Pathan ended his gruelling session with a few overs of spot bowling. A pair of shoes in front of the stumps serving as the batsman’s feet, the paceman made sure he hit the target regularly. Practice done, Irfan spoke to iplt20.com about an exciting couple of months ahead with the Daredevils.

On his form since his comeback

It is God’s grace. Since I have made my comeback, I feel pretty good about my game. Good or bad I want to take it in my stride – whatever happens in the future as well. Being in a good [mental] space is helping me a lot. Playing a lot of cricket, playing domestic cricket, helps me or rather helps any cricketer. I find myself lucky to be playing for the country again and want to make sure I stay this way and keep going ahead.

On enjoying his batting apart from bowling well

Absolutely! I want to make sure that I keep getting better. Whenever I leave practice, whenever I finish practice, I shouldn’t be [energetic]. The day I am [energetic] it means I haven’t worked hard enough in the nets. So that’s what my motto has been, especially in the nets. I am trying to get better as a cricketer, be it bowling or batting. So yes, I am definitely not leaving my batting behind. Getting an opportunity or not is not in my hands but I want to make sure I am ready for the situation whenever I get [an opportunity]. I am trying my best.

On whether he has made any changes to his action

I have made changes to my action with the help of TA Sekar Sir and that has helped me regain my line and length, which is pretty good. When you bowl with a close-to-body action, it is always going to give you a better direction in terms of your alignment. I am pretty happy with the changes I have made. It took me some time, but with Mr. TA Sekar’s help, I am able to effect this change of action. It is not an easy thing. It takes a lot of time, patience and hard work. A lot of small details go into it as well. But I am happy with the way things have gone in terms of fitness, cricket or the changes in my action.

On being back in the India side with brother Yusuf Pathan

It feels fantastic, we feel blessed. In a small way it feels special because not everyone gets to play for the country but here is a family in which two brothers are playing for the country. We find ourselves very lucky and blessed and want to make sure we play as many matches for the country and make sure that we contribute to the team. It is a great moment for the family. My family is very happy as well, especially my parents.

On IPL 2012 and Delhi Daredevils

This year is definitely going to be very good. We have got a very good team. We have got some really exciting cricketers coming into the side this season like Mahela Jayawardene and Kevin Pietersen. They really are world-class batsmen and when you have those kinds of batsmen in your team, it makes a huge difference. It makes a huge impact in terms of their experience as well. We are going to have a very good season, I have no doubt about it. I am looking forward to contributing as well be it with the ball or bat. I am looking forward to a challenging but good season for the Delhi Daredevils.

On Kevin Pietersen and other international players

I have played against [KP]. Playing against Kevin Pietersen has always been a good and challenging experience. He is a world-class act. At the same time, I am very excited about Mahela’s inclusion because he is one smart guy. He is a very smart cricketer and the way he plays cricket, [the intelligence] shows on the field – and [I’m] also [excited about] Ross Taylor. [Ross] is a very exciting talent, a very exciting cricketer – some of the shots he hits [feature] his own style. I am really excited for these three cricketers and I am looking forward to playing alongside them.

On fellow DD pacer Morne Morkel

We have just played one season together. He is a bowler who gets a lot of bounce and it is always good to have a different kind of bowler bowling at the opposite end because it complements you really well. It does [help] other bowlers as well because he gets the bounce and a lot of other guys have different strengths – Umesh [Yadav] has pace, I have swing. Last year we managed to lose games where 10-15 runs could make the difference so this year hopefully we won’t make those mistakes and make sure we do better.

On his DD skipper Virender Sehwag

He is like dynamite. He is a world-class act. I really think it is going to be a very special IPL for him. He is definitely going to murder someone on the cricket field this year and I am looking forward to witnessing that. It is going to be an exciting two months playing under him. It is a different experience all together. His whole personality – the way he thinks – is fearless and I really admire that spirit.

On what Umesh Yadav brings to the side

I think he is the fastest bowler I have seen in Indian cricket. The way he swings the ball and the raw pace [he possess] are really special and exciting to see. As a bowler he is going to get better and better from experiences but there is no doubt that he is a real talent.

On Sachin Tendulkar’s hundredth international century

It is an achievement that is not going to be replicated. I don’t think anyone else can break that record. Only Sachin could so something like that, something special. How can you say it in [an appropriately grand] way? Words like great, amazing, outstanding are too small when it comes to those kinds of records. The other guy who is behind Sachin paaji still has about 30 hundreds less so that’s no child’s play. What [Tendulkar] has achieved is something he has done over the years. A lot of hard work has gone into it. A lot of thinking has gone into it. A lot of pain has gone into it [...]. When I see him, I think he is God’s favourite child because no ordinary man can do something like this.

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Jayawardene strikes 30th Test ton

DD batsman hits unbeaten 168 as SL finish Day 1 at 289/8 against Eng

Delhi Daredevils’ Mahela Jayawardene brought up his 30th Test ton as Sri Lanka finished Day 1 of their first Test match against England at 289 for eight. Jayawardene, who remained unbeaten on 168 when played ended, was the only Sri Lankan batsman to put up any kind of fight on a day otherwise dominated by the English bowlers.

The hosts were in trouble early on after captain Jayawardene won the toss and opted to make first use of the wicket at the Galle International Stadium. James Anderson and Stuart Broad did the early damage for England as they quickly reduced Sri Lanka to 15 for the loss of three wickets before the completion of the fourth over. Thilan Samaraweera (20) was then run out backing up at the non-striker’s end with the score at 67.

Jayawardene, though, managed to hold the innings together. After a 52-run stand with Samaraweera, the DD batsman struck a 61-run stand with Dinesh Chandimal during which he surpassed Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar as the eighth-highest run-getter in Test cricket. Then, after Samit Patel had Chandimal (27) caught by Ian Bell, James Anderson trapped Prasanna Jayawardene (23) lbw and Suraj Randiv (12) was run out by a direct hit from Andrew Strauss. Mahela Jayawardene then took the Lankan score past 250 thanks to a 62-run stand with Rangana Herath.
While Herath (5) showed tremendous fight during his 30-ball stay at the wicket, Jayawardene went on to bring up his 30th Test ton in the 69th over of the Lankan innings by paddle sweeping Graeme Swann to the fine leg boundary.

After bringing up his century, Jayawardene switched gears. Where his first 101 runs came off 200 deliveries (strike-rate 50.50), the Lankan ace took just 90 deliveries to score his next 67 runs (strike-rate 74.44) as Sri Lanka finished the day at a competitive 289 for eight.
Jayawardene’s century today also has him tied in eighth spot with Australian Matthew Hayden on the list of batsmen with most Test centuries in a career.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 1st innings 289/8 (Mahela Jayawardene 168*, James Anderson 3/56, Samit Patel 2/27)

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RR’s Watson helps Aus level series

MI’s Pollard adjudged Player-of-the-Series

Shane Watson struck his 27th ODI half-century and finished with bowling figures of 10-0-44-2 as Australia drew the five-match ODI series against West Indies 2-2. As the third ODI between the two sides was tied, the visitor’s 30-run win against the hosts in the final ODI meant that West Indies were denied the opportunity of registering a rare ODI-series win against Australia.

Australia dominated the final ODI right from the time opposition captain Darren Sammy asked them to bat first after winning the toss. David Warner and Watson got Australia off to a flier as the pair brought up the first 100 runs for their team in just 18 overs. Delhi Daredevils’ Warner struck 69 in his 61-ball knock before falling to Sunil Narine in the 20th over. Nevertheless, half-centuries from Watson (66) and No. 3 batsman Peter Forrest (53) consolidated the visitors’ position.

West Indies, though, did manage to prevent Australia from getting to 300 despite the solid start. DD paceman Andre Russell took four for 61 as Australia slumped from four for 241 to 281 for nine at the end of their 50 overs.

Needing 282 to win, West Indies were put on the defensive as Kolkata Knight Riders’ Brett Lee’s two wickets in his first two overs reduced the hosts to five for two. Mumbai Indians’ Clint McKay and Watson then ripped through the hosts’ middle-order to leave them reeling at 118 for seven in 31.1 overs.

Darren Sammy struck a feisty 50-ball 84 (6x4, 6x6) in a spirited 101-run stand with Andre Russell (33-ball 41), but with the batsmen eventually falling to Xavier Doherty and Ben Hilfenhaus respectively, the hosts were bowled out for 251 in 47.2 overs.

While West Indies would have been disappointed with the drawn series result, consolation came by way of Kieron Pollard being adjudged the Player-of-the-Series. The blustery Mumbai Indians all-rounder was the pick of the batsmen in this series with 222 runs from five innings at an average of 55.50.

Brief scores: Australia 281/9 in 50.0 overs (David Warner 69, Shane Watson 66, Andre Russell 4/61, Kemar Roach 3/53) beat West Indies 251/10 in 47.2 overs (Darren Sammy 84, Andre Russell 41, Brett Lee 3/42, Shane Watson 2/44) by 30 runs

Man-of-the-match: Shane Watson for his all-round performance; 89-ball 66 and bowling figures of 10-0-44-2

Man-of-the-series: Kieron Pollard for his 222 runs from five innings at an average of 55.50

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Gambhir and I are like-minded: Bayliss

New KKR coach aligned with skipper’s philosophy of the game

On April 2, 2011, Trevor Bayliss sat dejected in the visitors’ dressing room at the Wankhede Stadium. He had just watched Gautam Gambhir anchor India to the world champions’ crown with a solid 97. It was Bayliss’ last match as Sri Lanka coach, and his second World Cup final with the team. Like in 2007, this too ended in heartbreak.

Bayliss moved on. He went back to Australia and mentored the Sydney Sixers to the Big Bash League title. A year has passed and he’s back in India. And due to a lovely little quirk of destiny, he will now join forces with the man who denied him a dream farewell in Sri Lanka colours. As the new coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Bayliss aims to help Gambhir and his team to the IPL 2012 title.

The man who has coached a state team (New South Wales), a national team and a T20 team now adds an IPL side to his coaching resume. In a chat with www.iplt20.com, Bayliss called himself fortunate to have had such varied coaching experiences.

Which aspect of coaching an IPL team excites you the most?

The atmosphere that is created around the tournament is outstanding. It will be great to be a part of that.

What do you rate as the biggest challenge of this new job?

There will be a lot of expectations from all over. I’ll have to try and live up to that and get the players to play better cricket. I have a very good squad at the KKR and if we could get them in a good mental space, it will pay rich dividends.

A hectic two months of travelling and playing will pose the challenge of striking a balance between preparation and rest.

It will always be a challenge in a tournament that lasts eight weeks. We have to be careful that we don’t overwork the players. We also have a number of days where the team will be away from the game. We have to ensure the players are not only physically but also mentally fit all the time.

How would you define the role of a coach in a team?

My philosophy is that the captain is the person who runs the show. The coach is a facilitator; he prepares the players to battle it out in the middle. There has to be a little bit of tactical awareness and the ability to help them improve their skill level. The proceedings are a lot faster in a T20 game. Keeping the players nippy on the field all the time is the biggest challenge of coaching a T20 team.

You’ll see a couple of New South Wales boys in the KKR change room in Brett Lee and Brad Haddin. Will that help you build a rapport within the team better and faster?

It’s good to have a couple of familiar faces in the team. However, after spending just a few hours here in India I’ve realised it won’t be a task for me to fit in to the team. I’ve met most of the support staff and they’ve been very nice and welcoming so far. I’m sure it will be the same with the players as well.

The first member of the team a new coach has to take into confidence is the captain. What is your first impression of captain Gambhir?

I met with Gautam in Sydney during India’s recent tour to Australia. I sat down with him for an hour or so. He’s a quietly spoken but a very determined man. He knows what he wants from his team. He has got some firm beliefs regarding the way the game must be played. His style of handling the team and different issues pertaining to the game are similar to my philosophy. Hopefully, that means we’ll be able to work together successfully.

Wasim Akram will be your coaching colleague. How do you plan to use his bowling expertise in helping the batsmen?

In every way possible! When you have personnel of that quality in the coaching staff, you’ll be silly if you don’t use their expertise to the maximum possible extent. A former bowler of that quality talking to your batsmen about how a bowler thinks, and the plans that he employs against them, is outstanding. I see that as a huge benefit.

Rudi Webster will also join the team this season. In what way would you seek his help in dealing with the players?

It’s one of those intangible qualities [that a sports psychologist deals with]. His role requires more work on one-on-one basis with the players if and when they need help. It will be a help for Gautam and myself as we try and build a winning team. He’ll give us a better understanding of how to approach a certain situation and put processes in place in order to create a positive environment within the team. Webster is a very humble man. I’ve spoken to him a couple of times and I’m sure he’ll be well respected by the players.

You were a brilliant fielder during your playing days. Do you put a lot of stress on that aspect of cricket during your coaching sessions?

I certainly do. I believe fielding is an indication of how well the team is doing as a whole. Batting and bowling is a very individual thing – it’s one against one. Fielding is a part of the game that everyone does together. When the whole team is fielding well as a unit, it is a sign that all the players are heading in one direction.

The team has a mix of established international stars and Indian youngsters. As a coach, is it more challenging to deal with the stars or guiding the younger ones?

Both have very different challenges and are very rewarding as well. The key is to get the more experienced players to pass on their knowledge to the younger players. On the other hand, it is important to create an environment where the young players feel free enough to seek help from the seniors. The best way for a youngster to improve is by watching the older players and asking questions.

Will your experience with the Sri Lankan team help you strike a chord with the sub-continental players?

I think it will. The way cricket is played in the sub-continent is a little different from the way the Australians go about it. The four years’ experience with Sri Lanka will hold me in good stead.

As a coach, is there anything in particular that you want to learn from your stint with an IPL team?

Whether you are a coach or a player, in the game of cricket you never stop learning. If anyone thinks they know it all, they’re in for a huge shock. The game keeps evolving from the playing point of view and the coaching has to evolve with it. And evolving is learning. I’ll continue to learn from my IPL journey as well.

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Morkel wins Man-of-the-Match award

Morne Morkel took six for 23 but couldn’t help South Africa win the third and final Test against New Zealand being played at the Basin Reserve here in Wellington today. Morkel’s six-wicket haul won him the man-of-the-match award and was the fifth instance where the Delhi Daredevils paceman has taken five wickets or more in a single innings of a Test match.


South Africa began Day 5 of the Test match at 75 for no loss in their second innings, having gained an overall lead of 274 over the hosts. Although the visitors lost Alviro Petersen (39) and Pune Warriors India’s Graeme Smith (41) early in the morning, a quick half-century from Royal Challengers Bangalore’s AB de Villiers (68 off 49) helped South Africa declare their innings at 189 for the loss of three wickets. Deccan Chargers’ JP Duminy, centurion in the first innings, remained unbeaten on 33.


Set an improbable target of 389 to win from 81 overs, New Zealand almost collapsed without a fight. Morne Morkel simply ran through the Kiwi top order to reduce them to 83 for five before Tea had been taken on the final day. Morkel would add to his wicket-tally in the final session (Kruger van Wyk – 39), but with Kane Williamson battling it out with a gritty century, and South Africa dropping catches, New Zealand managed to draw the game. 


Williamson remained unbeaten on 102 as Graeme Smith called off the Proteas’ challenge two deliveries before the scheduled day’s play was to come to an end. 


Having won the second Test at Hamilton, South Africa won the three-match series 1-0.


Brief scores: South Africa 1st innings 474/9 decl. in 148.4 overs (Alviro Petersen 156, JP Duminy 103, Mark Gillespie 6/113) and South Africa 2nd innings 189/3 decl. in 29.4 overs (AB de Villiers 68, Daniel Vettori 1/40) drew with New Zealand 1st innings 275/10 in 96 overs (Martin Guptill 59, Vernon Philander 6/81) and New Zealand 2nd innings 200/6 in 80.4 overs (Kane Williamson 102*, Morne Morkel 6/23)


Man-of-the-match: Morne Morkel for his incisive bowling performance in the fourth innings which read 16.4-7-23-6

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Watching Sanga bat helped me: Dhawan

Southpaw Shikhar Dhawan has found the ideal guru in his Deccan Chargers’ captain Kumar Sangakkara. Watching and learning from the elegant Sri Lankan, who is one of the best left-hand batsmen in cricket presently, is the high point for the Delhi lad. 


Here, the 26-year-old speaks about sharing the dressing room with senior international players before DC begin their quest to regain the IPL trophy.


On playing for the Deccan Chargers under Kumar Sangakkara


It is really a great feeling to be part of the Deccan Chargers and I am lucky to play with Kumar Sangakkara. Earlier also I have played with Sachin paaji [Tendulkar] and other senior players, but playing with Sangakara [is special because] he is a left-hander. I have learnt lots of things from him like, the way he plays the game and the way he approaches the game. It is obviously a good feeling to play with all those big players.

On what helped him improve his batting


The way he [Sangakkara] times the ball, that’s the best thing I like about him and that’s what I follow about him, just time the ball rather than hitting the ball really hard. So that works for me too. 


On DC pacer Dale Steyn


He is one of the best bowlers in the world and he is a key bowler. And the way he bowls I guess he can get the better of any batsman in the world. When we are playing in the nets he would ask, “what [kind of ball] are you going to play this shot on,” “how will you play this ball,” [...] [discussing with him how to tackle pace bowling] that’s how you learn his moves and that’s how you learn [to bat against fast bowlers]. It helps playing a fast bowler like him. 


On DC’s preparation for regaining the IPL trophy 


We are going to have a great preparation camp starting from around the 27th [March], and we will be really positive about playing the matches and winning the tournament. 


On his form in the current season


It was fine. Won’t say it was great. The season started off really well but didn’t go that well. The touch is really there and I am feeling confident about IPL.


On how playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy helps prepare for IPL 2012


Match practice is the best practice. But of course, these are big matches for us too. We would like to win the tournament [Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy]. Now we have qualified for the semi-finals. I am looking forward to help my team win and hope to contribute big for the team. 


On playing alongside the likes of Virender Sehwag in his previous IPL team the Delhi Daredevils 


As time passes, you always learn, you gain experience from each and every team, something from Delhi, my Ranji team [also]. You gain experience from seniors or teammates. When I was playing for DD, I used to talk to AB de Villiers and other seniors players and used to get experience in everything. AB de Villiers is good fielder, so I used to ask him, “What is it that makes you that special?” He told me, “Be attentive and enjoy your fielding as much as you can.” [...] Every year, I am gaining more experience and enjoying the game more.

Source: IPLT20

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Indian Premier League

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner. It is currently contested by nine teams, consisting of players from around the world. It was started after an altercation between the BCCI and the Indian Cricket League.

In 2010, IPL became the first sporting event ever to be broadcast live on YouTube in association with Indiatimes. Its brand value is estimated to be around $3.67 billion in fourth season. According to the Annual Review of Global Sports Salaries by sportingintelligence.com, IPL is the second highest-paid league, based on first-team salaries on a pro rata basis, second only to the NBA. It is estimated that the average salary of an IPL player over a year would be $3.84 million.


Source: Wikipedia

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