‘MS a clever captain in Indian conditions’
4 May 2013 1:31 AM GMT
Dashing England batsman Kevin Pietersen feels MS Dhoni’s ‘clever’ captaincy is the reason behind Chennai Super Kings’ success in the ongoing IPL but downplayed the issue of his own absence being the cause of Delhi Daredevils’ poor show.
‘The reason why CSK are so successful is because MS (Dhoni) is such a clever skipper in Indian conditions,’ Pietersen replied when asked about his opinion on the secret of CSK’s success in the cash-rich league. ‘Besides him (Dhoni) making a huge impact with the bat, CSK have also got quality spinners for the tracks on which they are playing. Their overseas recruits, including Mike Hussey and coach Stephen Fleming, have made significant contributions,’ Pietersen told mediapersons in a whirlwind visit to the capital, where he was unveiled as the brand ambassador of a Japanese watch company Citizen. ‘While I am surprised that KKR are doing so badly, I will be a fool to bet against CSK considering that one qualifier and the final will be played at the Eden Gardens, which is so similar to Chennai. Hyderabad also has been good. Difficult call but I will go with Chennai.’
Asked about his knee injury that dented Daredevils’ chances, he answered, ‘It’s flattering to hear that but I don’t think that’s the only reason. We also didn’t have Viru (Sehwag) for the initial matches while Morne (Morkel) and Roelof (Van der Merwe) had domestic commitments. Daredevils is very close to my heart as I have so many friends over here. The coaching set-up is great. It’s not that absence of one person would make a difference’, he said.
Pietersen seemed hopeful of his DD colleagues Umesh Yadav and Irfan Pathan doing well in the upcoming Champions Trophy. ‘Whatever I have seen, Umesh has developed a good slower delivery which will be helpful in limited overs cricket.Irfan is a valuable asset with the angles he can produce. It’s an absolute necessity in T20s and ODIs,’ he said.
‘The reason why CSK are so successful is because MS (Dhoni) is such a clever skipper in Indian conditions,’ Pietersen replied when asked about his opinion on the secret of CSK’s success in the cash-rich league. ‘Besides him (Dhoni) making a huge impact with the bat, CSK have also got quality spinners for the tracks on which they are playing. Their overseas recruits, including Mike Hussey and coach Stephen Fleming, have made significant contributions,’ Pietersen told mediapersons in a whirlwind visit to the capital, where he was unveiled as the brand ambassador of a Japanese watch company Citizen. ‘While I am surprised that KKR are doing so badly, I will be a fool to bet against CSK considering that one qualifier and the final will be played at the Eden Gardens, which is so similar to Chennai. Hyderabad also has been good. Difficult call but I will go with Chennai.’
Asked about his knee injury that dented Daredevils’ chances, he answered, ‘It’s flattering to hear that but I don’t think that’s the only reason. We also didn’t have Viru (Sehwag) for the initial matches while Morne (Morkel) and Roelof (Van der Merwe) had domestic commitments. Daredevils is very close to my heart as I have so many friends over here. The coaching set-up is great. It’s not that absence of one person would make a difference’, he said.
Pietersen seemed hopeful of his DD colleagues Umesh Yadav and Irfan Pathan doing well in the upcoming Champions Trophy. ‘Whatever I have seen, Umesh has developed a good slower delivery which will be helpful in limited overs cricket.Irfan is a valuable asset with the angles he can produce. It’s an absolute necessity in T20s and ODIs,’ he said.
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