Sunil Gavaskar, who was appointed the interim president of the BCCI for looking after the affairs of the Indian Premier league by the Supreme Court, has stressed on the importance of playing the game according to MCC Spirit of Cricket -- Play hard, Play fair -- during captains & coaches meeting ahead of the seventh IPl which begun in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Gavaskar chaired the pre-IPl season captains & coaches meeting on Tuesday. “Sunil Gavaskar, Interim President, BCCI-IPl, chaired the pre-IPl season captains & coaches meeting, on Tuesday, 15 April 2014. He stressed to the captains, the importance of their teams playing the game according to the MCC Spirit of Cricket — Play hard, Play fair,” a BCCI release said.
“He also addressed their position as role models for followers of the game and other players, as they built their respective careers. He reinforced the core message that integrity was non-negotiable. During the day, he also met with former and recently retired cricketers — VVS laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble — and sought their views on various issues. Sourav Ganguly was unfortunately unavailable, as he was travelling,” said Sanjay Patel, BCCI Secretary in the release on Wednesday.
Sportpersons crib in the beginning: dhoni on weather
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels adjusting to the conditions in UAE will be the biggest challenge for his team though he expects the two-time champions to at least reach the semifinals of the seventh Indian Premier league (IPl) beginning on Wednesday.
“There are players who are coming from the Asia Cup in Dhaka, some even from New Zealand. The challenge is the ability to adapt and perform quickly,” Dhoni said ahead of their tournament opener against Kings XI Punjab here on Friday.
Talking about the weather, Dhoni said: “Yes, the weather is slightly different when you compare to Mumbai or Chennai or Kolkata. It is hot and humid. But Delhi has very dry heat and this place is similar to that. It will be a challenge. But sports people crib a lot initially. But you don’t get bothered by it once we start to play.”
The Super Kings have retained the core of their team comprising Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, West Indian Dwayne Bravo and Dhoni himself.
The most successful team in the IPl looks a formidable force by also boasting the likes of New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and the dangerous Faf du Plessis from South Africa.
Asked about his team’s chances, Dhoni said: “Consistency at playing well and reaching the semi-finals is our goal firstly. We can’t say we will win because all it takes is one individual to have a good day. The important thing is to reach the semi-finals, and you up your game a bit.
“In knockout stages, you play to the best of your potential. That becomes crucial,” the India captain was quoted as saying by the tournament’s official website.
The wicketkeeper-batsman reckoned it was good that Super Kings have not made too many changes in the squad since the cash-rich league began in 2008.
“The good thing is, we haven’t had so many changed players since season one. We try to retain as many as possible. And as a team, we lay down what each one’s roles and responsibilities are. And we try to learn as we are making mistakes; we want to keep that low,” he added.
Rohit’s leading qualities
Heaping praise on Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, coach John Wright said that the youngster was “one of most natural captains” and under-estimating him as a leader would be a mistake.
“Rohit is one of those guys who just jump into the role and fit into it like a glove,” Wright said.
“His tactical decisions have been great, which is very important on the field. But leadership is all about performance, and Rohit has led the team from the front. He has done an outstanding job and I don’t think he should be underestimated,” he added.
Wright, however, pointed out that as a defending champions’ skipper, Rohit would face challenges.
“He will always be faced with a challenge. This time, he comes in as the defending captain, which is not easy. But his captaincy adds a lot to this team, and what he has contributed to this team should not be undermined. In some of the big games last season, I don’t think he put a foot wrong. I think he’s one of the most natural captains I have ever met,” Wright told the IPl’s official website.
Speaking on his team’s composition and their options in the tournament, Wright said, “There’s an air of expectancy. All the teams have a different make-up this time, and from our point of view, we have a core of players from last year as well as some new additions, which is interesting.”
With departure of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Smith and Dinesh Karthik, there are huge spots to be filled, but the coach feels that the absence of these players will present the uncapped cricketers such as Aditya Tare and Jalaj Saxena — a chance to shine.
“There is an opportunity there. Some of the big players are not a part of the setup now and we have some young Indian players who have a spot to compete for. Some of the guys are new, while some have been with us for two-three years, and now it is their time.
“I think that’s the greatest thing about the IPl — it creates an opportunity for a virtually unknown player to come in and make a name for themselves. let’s hope we have the right youngsters who seize that opportunity,” Wright explained.