Indian Premier League

[ret]

DURBAN - Former South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock is relishing the challenge of playing in the Indian Premier League when it gets under way this week.

Pollock will turn out for the Mumbai Indians alongside former Proteas team-mate Loots Bosman, India duo Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar, and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Pollock told The Mercury. "I'm particularly looking forward to playing with my friend Sachin Tendulkar in India after a lifetime spent playing against him."

Pollock, however, was under no illusions about how tough bowling would be, but was eager to bat up the order so he could "play a few strokes".

The 34-year-old also admitted he was interested in seeing how the tournament panned out. "This is unchartered territory," he added. "The interest has been huge."

On completion of the tournament Pollock is set to link up with former Dolphins team-mate Dale Benkenstein and Durham in the Twenty20 competition in England in June.

He is also scheduled to commentate for Sky Sports during the England-South Africa Test and one-day international series between July and September.

Pollock is looking forward to the IPL .... I think he should bat up the order, probably #4 or #5, depending upon the combination Mumbai go with .... He is a cool batsman and would love to see his stroke-play

 

[Arjun]

Pollock is looking forward to the IPL .... I think he should bat up the order, probably #4 or #5, depending upon the combination Mumbai go with .... He is a cool batsman and would love to see his stroke-play

Pollock doesn't have to go up too high- Mumbai's batting doesn't go below seven.

 

[pasag]

Saw the ad for this last night on Channel 10, obviously they only marketed it as Australian players vs Australian players and never once mentioned India, just the 'IPL', as you'd expect.

 

[Protean]

Saw the ad for this last night on Channel 10, obviously they only marketed it as Australian players vs Australian players and never once mentioned India, just the 'IPL', as you'd expect.

Similar to our ads, showed Dale Steyn vs AB and Symonds vs McGrath if I remember right.

 

[chaminda_00]

What have you seen of Geeves? His batting is nothing remarkble, from the figures, but if he's a fast bowler, he'll be useful. Already there are five Australian domestic players in the tournament. I wonder what role DaveHussey, Luke Ronchi, Loke Pomersach, Geeves and Noffke can provide to their teams.

For Delhi, if Geeves plays, they might get a better bowler, and Vettori comes to eight. It could possibly beef up the bowling while the batting stil stays strong. So if he's a better bowler, it will be a positive change, but negative for the GMR folks and their flawed strategy.

I watched most of his career over here. He is pretty handy lower order batsmen, similar standard to Mitchell Johnson if you want a comparsion. He is fairly quick, high 130s. Could play a pretty similar role to Maharoof and might be more effective on dead pitches. If the pitch has a bit in it for seamers I would go for Maharoof though.

For the domestic players a lot will depend on the how much other international players can play. I doubt anyone bar Hussey will be regular in the side. Really there are in the squad as back up over overseas replacement.

 

[chaminda_00]

Is this a full replacement? I heard Bracken would return for the later part of the series, unless he'll be out of action for a lot longer.

Bracken will miss the whole tournment, as the selectors and doctors have told him to rest before West Indies series. By the time the West Indies series finishes the IPL might be over. He might play a couple games to get his match fitness before the West Indies series. He just had surgery recently, so it unlikely they will risk him ahead of the West Indies ODIs.

 

[biased indian]

We wonder, which website of the Mumbai Indians is official? One of them is perpetually under construction, while the other has a bloggish look to it. Every other team has a website that's fully functional.

Arjun this is the official site

Mumbai indians

 

[duffer]

Just got my tickets for the match on the 20th! C'mooooon the Indians!!!!

And for anyone who hasn't seen them some of the ads that have blanket showing on TV here:

Madras v Calcutta
Delhi v Mumbai
Knight Riders
Chargers
Mumbai Indians with Hrithik

And there's way way more doing the rounds on TV. BCCI pouring everything into hyping this up. Big day on Friday.

 

[masterblaster]

What does substance over style mean in this case? Are you implying that other teams don't have substance? if H'bad has a Gilly, a Symo, a Laxman, a Rohit then does it lack substance?

and then you say that all they need to do is bowl opposition out for 100-120 as if it were that easy on the flat wkts .... Do you really think it's possible to bowl teams out for 100 on a consistent basis on that type of wkts? If they do bowl teams out for 100 then it will probably be due to a bowler friendly pitch which would mean that B'lore batsmen would struggle on it too and if some of them play like they are known to then the RRR will only go North and put more pressure on the team then actually knocking it off easily

It's a Twenty20 game mate. Flat wickets or not, bowlers often get wickets gifted to them in this format because the batsman does something stupid trying to lift the run rate. A bowler friendly pitch does mean that wickets will fall more consistently, but in a Twenty20 pitch even flat pitches can result in the odd batting collapse. Also, on a bowler friendly pitch I much rather have the likes of Dravid, Kallis, White and Boucher batting for me than the likes of Afridi, Gibbs and Symonds.

 

[duffer]

I'm slowly coming around to your way of thinking on Bangalore mb. Hope they do well but am hoping Sachin and co can light it up. Mumbai is India's premier city and needs a strong team IMO for the IPL to really kick off.

 

[masterblaster]

I'm slowly coming around to your way of thinking on Bangalore mb. Hope they do well but am hoping Sachin and co can light it up. Mumbai is India's premier city and needs a strong team IMO for the IPL to really kick off.

Good to see you warm up to the Bangalore side

As for Mumbai, I have a horrible feeling that they are going to underperform. The likes of Harbhajan, Uthappa and their fast bowlers really have to stand up. Ofcourse watching Jayasuriya and Tendulkar opening the batting is going to be one of the highlights of this tournament.

 

[ret]

Pollock doesn't have to go up too high- Mumbai's batting doesn't go below seven.

Nah, Pollock would do fine at #4 or #5

this would be the likely team for the first few games

1 to 5 ----> Sachin, Jayasuriya, Uthappa, Prince & Pollock
6 to 8 ----> Pinal Shah [WK], Saurabh Tiwary & co
9 to 11 ----> Bhajji, Fernando and Nehra

For Mumbai to do well, the likes of Sachin, Jayasuriya, Pollock and Uthappa have to do well. Prince is available so he will get a look in, while there is no news of Malinga. The key players will take up the responsibility and probably bat up, if they fall early then the domestic players from #6 onwards can take over, followed by the others and set up a decent total. Ofc if the key playes play well, the total will be more than decent

It's just 20 overs so they will want to make sure that the key players get to play most of the overs

Same would be the case for Delhi,

1 to 5 ----> Sehwag, Gambhir, Karthik, Malik & Tiwary [thats more like an Indian line up]
6 to 8 ----> Vetorri & the domestic players
9 t0 11 ----> Sangwan [i guess, he is a talented bowler], McGrath & Asif

Don't know when Malik and Asif would be joining the team, so Dilshan & Geeves can come in. Vettori will go to England after playing a few games

 

[honestbharani]

I like all the teams, tbh.. got some fave players in each time.. And got tickets for Chennai Vs Mumbai on the 23rd. Come on Sachin and Come on, Super Kings...

 

[Arjun]

Nah, Pollock would do fine at #4 or #5

this would be the likely team for the first few games

1 to 5 ----> Sachin, Jayasuriya, Uthappa, Prince & Pollock
6 to 8 ----> Pinal Shah [WK], Saurabh Tiwary & co
9 to 11 ----> Bhajji, Fernando and Nehra

For Mumbai to do well, the likes of Sachin, Jayasuriya, Pollock and Uthappa have to do well. Prince is available so he will get a look in, while there is no news of Malinga. The key players will take up the responsibility and probably bat up, if they fall early then the domestic players from #6 onwards can take over, followed by the others and set up a decent total. Ofc if the key playes play well, the total will be more than decent

It's just 20 overs so they will want to make sure that the key players get to play most of the overs

Same would be the case for Delhi,

1 to 5 ----> Sehwag, Gambhir, Karthik, Malik & Tiwary [thats more like an Indian line up]
6 to 8 ----> Vetorri & the domestic players
9 t0 11 ----> Sangwan [i guess, he is a talented bowler], McGrath & Asif

Don't know when Malik and Asif would be joining the team, so Dilshan & Geeves can come in. Vettori will go to England after playing a few games

That's no doubt a good idea to have someone like Pollock at four or five, but this is Mumbai, and not Hyderabad or Punjab. That tail end of Mumbai (Bhajji, Dilhara Fernando, Malinga, Nehra) is chaotic, brittle and weak, with only Bhajji being of any use. They need someone experienced at that end, who can negotiate with them, and Pollock has done that well for a long time.

We don't know if Malinga will make it, but he's definitely one for the starting lineup. A bowling attack of Pollock-Dilhara-Malinga-Nehra-Harbhajan is very powerful. We don't know about the South Africans, maybe Prince and Bosman are available, but the team needs a fifth bowler. Sanath isn't that effective now (especially in T20) and Sachin can't bowl now, and Nayar doesn't really cut it here in such a team.

As for Delhi, it's advised to keep away from Asif for some time. He's not a stable T20 bowler. Now that you mention that some players will leave in the middle or come in late, that makes developments in the teams a lot more interesting. With AB de Villiers coming late, a place opens for Dilshan. Malik isn't of much use now, since he can't bowl. A combination of Vettori, Geeves (or Maharoof), McGrath and Dilshan (then AB) is ideal.

 

[ret]

That's no doubt a good idea to have someone like Pollock at four or five, but this is Mumbai, and not Hyderabad or Punjab. That tail end of Mumbai (Bhajji, Dilhara Fernando, Malinga, Nehra) is chaotic, brittle and weak, with only Bhajji being of any use. They need someone experienced at that end, who can negotiate with them, and Pollock has done that well for a long time.

We don't know if Malinga will make it, but he's definitely one for the starting lineup. A bowling attack of Pollock-Dilhara-Malinga-Nehra-Harbhajan is very powerful. We don't know about the South Africans, maybe Prince and Bosman are available, but the team needs a fifth bowler. Sanath isn't that effective now (especially in T20) and Sachin can't bowl now, and Nayar doesn't really cut it here in such a team.

As for Delhi, it's advised to keep away from Asif for some time. He's not a stable T20 bowler. Now that you mention that some players will leave in the middle or come in late, that makes developments in the teams a lot more interesting. With AB de Villiers coming late, a place opens for Dilshan. Malik isn't of much use now, since he can't bowl. A combination of Vettori, Geeves (or Maharoof), McGrath and Dilshan (then AB) is ideal.

I disagree with you on some of the points

I don't think Mumbai will play the two SL pacers at the same time on a consistent basis unless forced by circumstances. Thats why they have picked Nehra, and all-rounders in Pollock and Jayasuriya .... the probable bowling line up would be Pollock, 1 SL pacer, Nehra, Bhajji, along with Jayasuriya, Tendulkar & co

2ndly, batting Pollock lower than 5 will not be a smart idea as probably the #5 would be coming in with some 7-8 overs to go, and you would want someone like Pollock to bat most of those, esp considering the batting Mumbai has, than some of the domestic players .... You would want Pinal Shah & co to come into play as late as possible, if they have to, ideally giving the smack in the last few overs

 

[Arjun]

I disagree with you on some of the points

I don't think Mumbai will play the two SL pacers at the same time on a consistent basis unless forced by circumstances. Thats why they have picked Nehra, and all-rounders in Pollock and Jayasuriya .... the probable bowling line up would be Pollock, 1 SL pacer, Nehra, Bhajji, along with Jayasuriya, Tendulkar & co

2ndly, batting Pollock lower than 5 will not be a smart idea as probably the #5 would be coming in with some 7-8 overs to go, and you would want someone like Pollock to bat most of those, esp considering the batting Mumbai has, than some of the domestic players .... You would want Pinal Shah & co to come into play as late as possible, if they have to, ideally giving the smack in the last few overs

There's no reason not to play the two SL pacers consistently. They are the team's best bowlers after Pollock, and add power to the bowling attack. Replacing Dilhara or Malinga with Abhishek Nayar, or worse, Sanath-Sachin-others. They cannot risk using part-timers as it's too big a risk. Even Sanath was smashed for 64 in four overs.

We don't know if Pollock would last so long, as he's not a big-innings player. In case there are wickets in hand and few overs left, he may be promoted higher up, but otherwise, it would be wiser to send in one of the locals. As I said, that's an unstable, brittle tail and you can't afford to have a rookie batting with them. Pollock may come in with barely four or five overs, when he can launch into any attack at just the right time.

There's no point in having someone bat higher up the order just because they're foreigners, national players or 'your best players'. They may be playing out of position, and sometimes, even lower down the order, they can be useful. The rookies are no mugs with the bat, and can whack more than a few when needed. Saurabh Tiwary is an under-rated batsman with good technique, extra power- just about everything you need in your top T20 batsman. Pinal Shah is one of the highest scorers in the local scene, and can hold his own in the middle-order. Neither, though, have adequate experience of handling the tail or (except Tiwary in one OD) the final overs.

 

[ret]

There's no reason not to play the two SL pacers consistently. They are the team's best bowlers after Pollock, and add power to the bowling attack. Replacing Dilhara or Malinga with Abhishek Nayar, or worse, Sanath-Sachin-others. They cannot risk using part-timers as it's too big a risk. Even Sanath was smashed for 64 in four overs.

We don't know if Pollock would last so long, as he's not a big-innings player. In case there are wickets in hand and few overs left, he may be promoted higher up, but otherwise, it would be wiser to send in one of the locals. As I said, that's an unstable, brittle tail and you can't afford to have a rookie batting with them. Pollock may come in with barely four or five overs, when he can launch into any attack at just the right time.

There's no point in having someone bat higher up the order just because they're foreigners, national players or 'your best players'. They may be playing out of position, and sometimes, even lower down the order, they can be useful. The rookies are no mugs with the bat, and can whack more than a few when needed. Saurabh Tiwary is an under-rated batsman with good technique, extra power- just about everything you need in your top T20 batsman. Pinal Shah is one of the highest scorers in the local scene, and can hold his own in the middle-order. Neither, though, have adequate experience of handling the tail or (except Tiwary in one OD) the final overs.

the BIG reason why Mumbai may not play the two SL pacers consistently [unless forced to] is because it affects the balance wrt the quota of four international players in the side, i.e jayasuriya & pollock will play most of the games, 1 SL pacers and 1 batsman or Wk like Ronchi appears to be the better choice .... and Pollock has a decent record with the bat

As we can see that your strategies are based upon a player not lasting long and the tail coming into play, which is not a valid assumption

And best players do bat higher up, esp in a format like the 20T

 

[Jono]

Knight Riders

Lol, thats so ****, yet so good at the same time.

The chick dancer taking that diving catch is gold.

 

[GotSpin]

Just got my tickets for the match on the 20th! C'mooooon the Indians!!!!

And for anyone who hasn't seen them some of the ads that have blanket showing on TV here:

Madras v Calcutta
Delhi v Mumbai
Knight Riders
Chargers
Mumbai Indians with Hrithik

And there's way way more doing the rounds on TV. BCCI pouring everything into hyping this up. Big day on Friday.

Knight Riders was the greatest thing I've ever seen. Preety excited for friday actually

 

[dongunda]

Lookin forward to it, a first truly an esthatic domestic cricket. Thanks to BCCI and their cash. A truly international treat for any cricket fan.