Relishing the challenges of Twenty20 cricket ahead of IPl-8, Delhi Daredevils spinner Imran Tahir believes that the limited-overs game may be hard on the bowlers but it helps them perfect their craft. The South African leg-spinner, who joined Daredevils in the 2014 season, wants to make an impact as a valuable spinner for his team. “It’s hard, T20 cricket and also the ODIs where five fielders are inside the inner circle. But spinners play a key role in T20. They have a lot to give in the limited-overs game and it makes them better bowlers. The modern-day game helps us perfect our cricket more than what it was before,” Tahir said in an open session organised by Delhi Daredevils.
“Batsmen attack you more in T20 cricket, so there are more chances for a bowler and also there are more challenges, which we like. You need to go there with a big heart and that’s all that matters.” The Pakistan-born player, who has represented South Africa in 16 Tests and 38 ODIs, is ready to adapt to ‘changing times’ as a spinner. “The art of spin is very much alive and you see that in Test cricket. But I still think even in Test cricket you cannot be a classical spinner, say what you were 20 years ago. Cricket has obviously changed.
“It’s not that you give the flight and batsmen are going to defend. You flight the ball and it goes for a six. Your pace is important for all the formats. For me bowling now is harder than what it was called ‘classical spin’,” he said.
T20 easier than ODIs: Ishant
New Delhi: Raring to go in the IPl, a fit-again Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Ishant Sharma feels T20 is easier for fast bowlers than ODIs with the problematic four-fielder rule not being there in cricket’s shortest format.
The lanky pacer, who missed the World Cup in Australia due to a knee problem, is eager to prove his worth in the eighth season of the cash-rich league and believes the shorter-format will certainly help him regain his match-fitness. “I am fit and raring to go. T20 is still easy for a fast bowler than ODIs. At least in T20 cricket, there is an extra fielder outside the circle to give you protection unlike in ODI cricket which has the four-fielder rule in progress. So at least in T20 cricket, we can do the containing act with the added fielder. And I believe that bowlers are making their presence felt in limited-overs cricket. We saw Mitchell Starc getting the player of the tournament award in World Cup. So bowlers are surely getting their due in limited-overs cricket,” Ishant said.
AB, Chris and I will be able to do better in IPl-8: Kohli
Mumbai: Virat Kohli on Sunday said Royal Challengers Bangalore's star-studded batting line-up will be able to express itself better in IPl-8 with the arrival of players such as Darren Sammy and S Badrinath in the team. Besides the Indian player and former West Indies captain, Dinesh Karthik was also being bought at the auction, and the 26-year old Kohli said that it has provided depth to their batting line-up. "This season is pretty different for us because for the last three or maybe four years myself, Chris and AB have played under a lot of pressure because the batting revolved around the three of us.
"If you look at the few other teams, they’ve a lot of depth in their batting which meant the guys could go and express themselves and play freely that worked for them," Kohli said after the team's jersey launch here on Sunday. Things, this time around, could change for the better for RCB. "We had to be cautious and at the same time look to score runs which sort of put us under pressure at times but this time around we’ve got Karthik, Darren Sammy, Badrinath and youngsters like Mandeep Singh coming into the batting line-up. It is a very strong batting unit and we’ve got really good depth with great mixture of Indian youngsters and great bowlers from around the world and some good power hitters.
"This season the three of us can play the way we always wanted to play in T20 cricket like you see AB, playing the way he did in the World Cup. I’m sure he’ll be feeling the same and he’ll be feeling relieved that he can start playing (his shots) from ball one, two or three," he said.
Not winning WC disappointing, but IPl is new challenge: Rohit
Mumbai: Rohit Sharma on Sunday said while the national cricket team members are disappointed at not being able to retain the World Cup, a new challenge awaits them in the form of IPl. India lost to eventual champions Australia by 95 runs in the semifinals and Mumbai Indians’ captain Rohit said the focus now was solely on winning the eighth season of the IPl. “It was disappointing not to bring the World Cup back, but once we got back to India we knew a new challenge was lying in front of us, which was the IPl. Now we are thinking about how to win the championship,” said Rohit.
The Indian opener said although the Indian team had stayed for around four months in Australia, everyone was now prepared mentally and physically for two months of IPl. “I am perfectly ready. IPl schedule is released well in advance. So everyone knew we had to compete soon after spending four months in Australia, so all of us are prepared mentally. I don’t think anyone is mentally tired because ultimately, as players, we want to do well in every tournament we play. It is an opportunity, another big platform for all of us to perform,” said Rohit.
‘Verbal duels part of the game’
Mumbai: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who in his playing days led a team known for its sledging, said on-field verbal duels was part and parcel of the game but it should be within limits. “I believe it is part of the game but players probably do have to understand where the line is and make sure they are not overstepping the line. That’s all we can say to our players, that’s all we are worried about,” said Mumbai Indians chief coach Ponting at a media conference here.
“We are worried about MI, we are not worried about what’s happened in the World Cup or what’s happened before that. We just have to make sure that we handle our players well and that our players understand the way we want to play our game and the way we want them to play the game. That’s about the same,” he added. “Yes, the same. Exactly,” retorted MI captain Rohit Sharma, when asked about on-field verbal duels. Sharma attended the IPl match officials’ conclave here on Saturday and had a brief discussion there.