We would want to start the tournament well - Jeremy Snape
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 2:39:23 PM
The Indian Premier League 3 is just a couple of days away and our team is all set to get rolling. There were some security concerns raised by some of the international players and now after the assurances given by the Indian government and the IPL Commissioner, everyone seems to have calmed down. Personally, I am really looking forward to this year's IPL. I have always found this format of the game very fascinating, the unpredictable nature of the game makes it even more interesting. I remember when we lost the first match of the first IPL season, people had written us off as mere pushovers but all credit to the players for playing some amazing cricket to turn the tables around and win the tournament. Our preparation for the tournament is in full swing. It is a great challenge to get players from diverse backgrounds to come together and play as a team and that is what we did very well in the first edition of the tournament. We have a well rounded support staff at Rajasthan Royals comprising of Darren Berry, John Gloster, Warney and myself. My role as a "performance coach" is mainly to get the players in the right frame of mind to execute their roles to the best of their abilities. Moreover, my experiences in Twenty20 strategies are also put to good use at Rajasthan Royals. The first week or so of the tournament is very important for the Royals as we would want to start the tournament well. Our primary challenge is to build good spirit among the lads and get the best out of each and every player. Currently, we are watching each individual very closely to assess their game and assign them roles in accordance to their respective strengths and weaknesses. We also have to make sure that we don't repeat the mistakes committed in the past. We have a good squad this time with some big names like Graeme Smith, Shane Watson, Shaun Tait and Adam Voges. Yusuf Pathan has been in some sparkling form of late and that augurs well for us. I am also excited about some of the local Indian talent we have identified this year. It would be a great experience for these Indian boys to play and interact with some of these great players. I have been in India with the touring South African team for the past month or so and I can sense a feeling of anticipation and expectation among the Indian cricket fans about the IPL. The passion for cricket in this country truly amazes me and I am sure we would have sell-out crowds and deafening support for all the games this time around too.