Which team is Vettori’s favorite ? The Delhi Daredevil answers during a training session at FerozeShah Kotla Grounds! Read On!
No Virender Sehwag. No AB De Villiers. No Gautam Gambhir. No Mohammad Asif. No Shoaib Malik. No Glenn McGrath, either. Not even Dinesh Karthik. Unlike their glammed-up promotional events, the first practice session of Delhi’s Indian Premier League team at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Tuesday was an exercise in frugality.
It was only right, then, that soft-spoken Daredevil Daniel Vettori hogged the limelight at this tentative intermingling. Surprisingly, the Kiwi skipper, who will play under Sehwag here, and like four other New Zealand teammates has been given permission to delay his arrival in England for the Test series till May 1, has no illusions about the role big foreign draws will play in the IPL.
Maybe he has been keeping one eye on how things have panned out on the field for the rebel ICL, where former teammate Shane Bond is plying his trade. “It’s unfortunate Shane can’t play for New Zealand anymore, it’s just one of those things,” he said, before getting down to the business end of things. “Only four foreign players can take the field for any given team, so I suppose the squad with the strongest group of Indian players will win. That said, Delhi Daredevils have some pretty talented guys and some very exciting local talent.” A new coaching staff and new loyalties ensures some excitement, too.
Vettori was surprisingly candid about how the IPL is being perceived back in New Zealand.
“With concern,” he said, unequivocally, “We are a poor cricket board. We have had some exodus to the ICL, too. We know it’s a difficult situation. It’s hard to refuse when big offers come your way. It’s a matter of making sure people still play for their country.”
He was also equally forthright about the need to fit IPL into the ICC’s Future Tours Programme: “That will ensure fresher and fitter international players. It will make it easier for us. It hasn’t happened this time. It will be nice if it’s feasible, if that can be done.”
At the World T20 last year, Vettori had joked about how, as a spinner, he wished he didn’t have to bowl at all. Now, with the format’s success more entrenched, he has had to become less apprehensive: “Spinners have been pretty successful in this format, we’ve got a big role to play.”
One man who looked more comfortable in his new skin was Daredevils coach Greg Shippard, the Victoria Bushrangers coach who has a stellar Twenty20 record. Renowned for his tactical thinking, Shippard was into the thick of things straightaway. ‘
‘The diverse group of players is one of the beauties of this competition,” he said, “I’ve watched T20 crowds grow and grow in Australia over the years and I’ve no doubt it will be huge here.
“For the players, it’s very demanding physically and mentally, so it’s important to have good technical management. But motivating players here is a challenge. As for the younger crop, I’m already impressed with (pacers) Pradeep Sangwan and Yo Mahesh.”
The Daredevils can boast a formidable seam attack on paper but concerns remain. Asif is an unlikely starter because of injury, McGrath lacks practice, Brett Geeves is likely to carry drinks and Fervez Maharoof missed the bus to the West Indies because of a side strain. But the Lankan is optimistic of his chances here.
“I’m fit and ready to go, I’ve recovered sufficiently,” he said, “The hot weather is of no concern.” On to the cricket, then.
No wonder, Vettori as a spinner will not only have to play well but also win matches for his daredevils!
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The season tickets for the Indian Premier League cricket matches involving Chennai Super Kings will go on sale from Friday, April 11 at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) counters.
