JOHANNESBURG: Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist was over the moon because his side had scripted a major turnaround. The DLF Indian Premier League title triumph on Sunday culminated a wonderful journey for Gilchrist & Co. And he did not hesitate to share the journey with the media.Excerpts from his interaction with the media:
On Symonds being left out by Australia and coming good for Chargers: Yeah, I was surprised. But it is not my job to pick the team for Australia. And Andrew Symonds is that sort of a player – he has been such a team man and he gets the great spirit in the team. We saw a little glimpse of that in the last season of the IPL where he got just four games and what he added there. The respect he got from the international and Indian players and that is what he got this time too. He became instant favourite when he joined the squad. He is a great personality and a wonderful talent on the cricket field. He can turn matches.
On what was more satisfying – the three World Cup wins or IPL: Yeah, I think one was better than the other. But this is the only cricket I play now – Twenty20. Given what we went through last year. I think a lot of credit goes to the franchise for turning it around but obviously the World Cups are also important for one’s career. I think one of my catch phrase for this tournament to the players was to make sure that every ball – the very next ball – is the most important thing of their lives at the moment. And sounds quite dramatic but there is nothing else going on in the life at that moment so if you can make that thing important – then that’s trying to get them focused and that is what you do – the World Cups when it was required and tonight. It has just been a great experience.
On Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha doing well this season: Both are immensely talented cricketers. I have really enjoyed working with Rohit as vice captain. I am trying to inculcate the leadership role. I hope he learns some leadership skills on the way which I think he will. I think he wants to take on that role. His cricket speaks for itself. He is a talented cricketer. As far as Pragyan is concerned, he has a desire to learn and absorb as much as he can from the people with experience around. They will be wonderful cricketers for India. I have no doubt about that.
On Royal Challengers Bangalore doing well and on Kumble: I think credit goes to them and their franchise for the way they turned it around. It requires a lot of pain and discipline to change the fortunes from last year. I think no one sitting in the press conference here would have thought that the teams which played for wooden spoon last year will play for the title. We have seen in this tournament that a lot of experienced players have adapted well in the conditions and they leveled the teams a little bit and evened up the battle between the bat and the ball. It is no surprise that a guy like Anil Kumble comes up with a standout performer in this tournament. And his leadership is I think from an outside observer looking in both in this competition and when he was leading the national team, he looks to me like a natural leader, a guy that defends everyone, makes them feel comfortable, makes them feel part of the set-up. So no surprise that the team did well under his guidance.
On whether he predicted another victory: (laughs) You all think I am nuts but I woke up this morning at 2.30. I just couldn’t sleep, I was quite excited, bit nervous. My mind was racing…. At 3.16 I decided I am going to make another bold prediction and I wrote down that Pragyan Ojha would be the Man of the Match. And I thought he was close with three for 24 off four overs. I thought he did a wonderful job. It just goes to prove that I am human…I can’t predict everything (laughs). He did really well but Anil’s contribution was a standout performance in this match.
On last year Deccan Chargers not doing well despite having a strong team: I think we had a team which was strong on the papers. We had individual players who played well for their respective countries. But I think Shane Warne’s team which was the least favourite to win the tournament changed that and they won it. May be the same can be said about us. By seeing the record of the last year we came here as one of the least favourites to win. We were happy with not many expectations from us. As we had to start again and rebuild the team. But last year we just didn’t adapt to what we needed to this form of the game as well we should have. It is not because of only one person or one leadership group or we as a collective group just didn’t get down and do what is required. The way we made changes in coaching everyone just poured in thereafter. VVS Laxman who went through a lot obviously emotionally as he had the captaincy taken away from him and he has been here and played just five games. We told him that we did not need him in the end of the tournament. But we wanted him to contribute – his vast knowledge, experience and another thing that is a wonderful example that not only Twenty 20 players but also a senior player like him wants to learn how to play Twenty20 format. He has worked with our fitness trainer, fielding coach and Darren as our head coach. So, that is exciting to see that VVS epitomises what the franchise has been this year.
On the changes he made this year: I guess last year’s just a very hollow feeling. It was a great learning experience for me. Because I have been lucky to play in a lot of successful teams in the Australian set-up. And to go on that sort of losing streak was new to me, and I think…I knew that at the time, I wanted to just embrace it and work out, why and what and that’s what everyone did. Couple of personnel changes. We needed a lit bit more strike power in our bowling and we got that in the form of Fidel Edward and then Ryan Harris when he got his opportunity, and yet we played Chaminda Vaas in couple of games and he had a huge impact in those conditions, when he had his chance. But that was probably the major personnel change, we just needed a little bit more firepower to try and support RP Singh. He did a great job last year, of course did it again this year, winning the Purple Cap. He had that little bit of support around him. And then…that was probably the main thing. But then just trying to create the culture of learning from our mistakes last year and trying to play smarter brand of Twenty20 cricket rather than walking out and trying to literally just fire from ball one all of us and all of a sudden we would be four for 30, yeah we just got to get smarter about it I think.
On whether the players in IPL will have an advantage in ICC World Twenty20: I think so, as long as they get a little bit of time to freshen up. I really do. Obviously India is the only national team, that had every member of their T20 World Cup squad playing in this tournament. As long as....that's an advantage. But as long as they get that chance just to freshen up, whether it be five-six days away from cricket. I know it's hard for them to do when they go back to their home cities in India. They tend to sort of keep high profiles and lower profiles, because of the passion for the game. I can't wait to watch, it's going to be interesting to see, how it goes. Having been in Twenty20 mode, that's going to help a lot of the players.
On Gibbs’ knock in the final: That was the sort of rock that we formed our foundation around, he was very clever. He is such an instinctive sort of natural strokemaker. And takes it on, but yeah brave innings from him, symbolic of where he is at in life at the moment. He has admitted to a lot.... been a very honest about his life in recent times. He has come out of the other side really well, so I am really proud of him. And I think, as you say, shows sort of in a cricketing sense, how he has matured and come to terms with things.
On why this has been a left-handers’ tournament: If you say like that yes (laughs). I haven't sat back to think about it, but yeah I don't know. There seems to be more left-handers around in general whether it is batting or bowling than I can ever remember. As a youngster you were bit of an alien to be a left-hander, now there seems to be..generally half a team is left-handers. I was the only one in our team I think...but oh Ojha bats left-hander. Yeah...it's.....I don't know. I haven't thought about it.
On another Aussie captain winning an IPL trophy: As I said it's not anyone person that's changed it. It's the whole franchise, our owners had to have faith in us and had faith in me when I requested some of the changes. It wasn't wholesale changes, but certainly there were some changes that I had suggested. And they showed faith in me and trust in me that it was the right way to go. Obviously I think, the main one was Darren Lehmann. I think he has just got a wonderful cricket mind. He was the first person I thought of when I sensed an opportunity to bring in some...bit of freshness and some new people. Mike Young, he has just been so successful with the Australian team and Steve Smith, he is a fitness guru that I have done a bit of work with over many years. And he has come in and the boys have just responded so well. So getting that support culture...the support group around to create the culture, that's all we tried to do. The players had to buy in. And as I said, from VVS Laxman down to Harmeet Singh, new young talent, they all bought in... The first thing that I said at the start of our first meeting, I stood up and I said ‘We are all in it together’. That was my first line of my first team meeting, and yeah…’we are going to enjoy this together’.
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