Coach Gary Kirsten blames IPL for team’s fatigue and defeat

Indian coach Gary Kirsten had strong words to say about the Indian Premier League (IPL) and how it could have contributed in his team’s fatigue and niggling injuries-factors which were responsible for his team’s debacle in the ICC World Twenty20 here.

“A lot of our cricketers carried niggles in this tournament. We picked up niggles in the IPL and lost contact with them.

“India’s schedule ahead of the next Twenty20-in the West Indies in nine months time-isn’t going to be any different. If I’m still around, we would do some good planning and if need be, pull guys out of the IPL. We want when the real competition comes along, the people are ready for it.”

The South Africa-born Indian coach also confessed his side was extremely tired ahead of the world’s premier Twenty20 event.

“We were not as energetic as we were in New Zealand…we were relatively tired when we arrived here,” Kirsten made a damning comment on the state of his team.

“We have been on the road since end of January. We were not sure if we should increase the training or give sufficient rest. In the end we gave them as much rest as we could so that they could be pumped up for important games.

“But then we had relatively easy games against Bangladesh and Ireland. We then came up against the West Indies and were found wanting. We realized how tough the battle could be against a high quality international side.”

Because of fatigue and niggles, India’s problems against short-pitched deliveries thus got accentuated.

“If we could have executed our skills the way we wanted to, we could have won the game.

“(In Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina) we have two incredibly talented young cricketers for India-for one especially the going has been tough in this tournament.

“But I have no doubt he would come through and continue to make his mark. We have played short-pitched bowling in other conditions so that’s something which is not new.”

Kirsten believed the hurt of this tournament would actually make his side a better one-the first evidence of which could come in the final Super Eight game against South Africa.

“We are bitterly disappointed. We haven’t done something people could be proud of. I saw 15 faces in the changing room and some of them were really hurt. We have come to expect good performances and so it hurt.

“MS then said where do we move from here. We need to be positive and pick ourselves up. We have to go and win tomorrow and give it everything.”

Kirsten heaped praise on Dhoni, terming him as one of the most exceptional leaders he had seen in any walk of life.

“He is an extremely professional cricketer. He is one of the most exceptional leaders that I have seen in any walks of my life. He is able to separate the other things from his cricket and is extremely focussed.

“He is one of the greatest finishers in the game of cricket. We feel in high profile game he is the one who can close out game for us. We wanted to save Yuvraj, Dhoni and Pathan for the final 12 overs of the innings.”

“In 50-overs game, he is one of the greatest finishers the game has seen. He is trying to do it in Twenty20 cricket as well. He also wants to balance it with his big hitting. His batting is improving, he is a fast learner and he would come good.”

courtesy yahoo