HoneY
MaaPeya Da LaaDLa
may 09 2008
BANGALORE: Simple and laid back. The first words that come to your mind when you observe former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan off the field. It's not much of a surprise that the polite and soft-spoken Sarwan is a popular figure among his teammates at Mohali.
After a gruelling schedule which saw Team Mohali play three matches in five days, Sarwan and his teammates were in Bangalore to unwind ahead of the game against a struggling Team Chennai on May 10. The batsman from Guyana, known for his powerful strokeplay and inspiring leadership on the field, spoke to TOI about life in India, the secret of team Mohali's success and dealing with a hectic schedule.
Excerpts...
How has the IPL experience been for you so far?
It's been great. It's a unique situation and it's been enjoyable to interact with not just Indian cricketers but also Sri Lankans and Australians.
You've also played the Stanford Cup T20 tournament back home, how do the two compare?
The Stanford Cup is different as the IPL is bigger. The IPL is based on a home and away system of matches and is played in different cities but out there it's played in one stadium with a capacity of 6,000 people. But out there too there's music and dance. The atmosphere in India has been fun with the music and cheerleaders. It adds flavour to the sport. Perhaps the concept (of cheerleaders) is new here and that's why it's not received well.
What's the response to the IPL been like back at home?
The support back home is fantastic. Whenever I call my mum or my sister they're always glued to the TV. Also, the matches are on there at 10 am so the timing is ideal for a lot of people.
Why do you think some of the lesser fancied teams like Team Jaipur and Team Mohali have done so well in this tournament?
I think we've gotten the basics right. We have concrete plans and execute them well. It doesn't matter much if you have flamboyant players. It also doesn't matter if it's a 20 over match, a 50 over match or a Test match, as long as you execute plans well. Team Jaipur does exactly this and they have a great leader in Shane Warne. We too have a good captain in Yuvraj.
How tough is it for players to recover in time for a match especially since most matches end late and aren't too far apart?
It's very difficult. The last five days have been the hardest for us. And yes it's also hard because matches end late. It takes a lot to recover both physically and mentally.
Is it harder if you're not doing well?
It tests you mentally when you have a tough schedule and if you're not doing well. But we try and help each other out as a team.
How do you think someone like Brian Lara would have done in the IPL?
I think he would have done great. Especially since he's capable of dominating attacks.
Would you recommend any West Indian player to your team owner?
I'd probably ask them to keep an eye on Jerome Taylor who's very good in this form of the game and who has done well internationally. I could probably put in a word about him with the bosses.
Apart from cricket, what have you been up to?
I've been playing some golf, not very well though. I've also done a lot of shopping in India and picked up a few sarees for my mum and my sister who's getting married soon so it's been fun here. I'm looking forward to the next month in India.
BANGALORE: Simple and laid back. The first words that come to your mind when you observe former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan off the field. It's not much of a surprise that the polite and soft-spoken Sarwan is a popular figure among his teammates at Mohali.
After a gruelling schedule which saw Team Mohali play three matches in five days, Sarwan and his teammates were in Bangalore to unwind ahead of the game against a struggling Team Chennai on May 10. The batsman from Guyana, known for his powerful strokeplay and inspiring leadership on the field, spoke to TOI about life in India, the secret of team Mohali's success and dealing with a hectic schedule.
Excerpts...
How has the IPL experience been for you so far?
It's been great. It's a unique situation and it's been enjoyable to interact with not just Indian cricketers but also Sri Lankans and Australians.
You've also played the Stanford Cup T20 tournament back home, how do the two compare?
The Stanford Cup is different as the IPL is bigger. The IPL is based on a home and away system of matches and is played in different cities but out there it's played in one stadium with a capacity of 6,000 people. But out there too there's music and dance. The atmosphere in India has been fun with the music and cheerleaders. It adds flavour to the sport. Perhaps the concept (of cheerleaders) is new here and that's why it's not received well.
What's the response to the IPL been like back at home?
The support back home is fantastic. Whenever I call my mum or my sister they're always glued to the TV. Also, the matches are on there at 10 am so the timing is ideal for a lot of people.
Why do you think some of the lesser fancied teams like Team Jaipur and Team Mohali have done so well in this tournament?
I think we've gotten the basics right. We have concrete plans and execute them well. It doesn't matter much if you have flamboyant players. It also doesn't matter if it's a 20 over match, a 50 over match or a Test match, as long as you execute plans well. Team Jaipur does exactly this and they have a great leader in Shane Warne. We too have a good captain in Yuvraj.
How tough is it for players to recover in time for a match especially since most matches end late and aren't too far apart?
It's very difficult. The last five days have been the hardest for us. And yes it's also hard because matches end late. It takes a lot to recover both physically and mentally.
Is it harder if you're not doing well?
It tests you mentally when you have a tough schedule and if you're not doing well. But we try and help each other out as a team.
How do you think someone like Brian Lara would have done in the IPL?
I think he would have done great. Especially since he's capable of dominating attacks.
Would you recommend any West Indian player to your team owner?
I'd probably ask them to keep an eye on Jerome Taylor who's very good in this form of the game and who has done well internationally. I could probably put in a word about him with the bosses.
Apart from cricket, what have you been up to?
I've been playing some golf, not very well though. I've also done a lot of shopping in India and picked up a few sarees for my mum and my sister who's getting married soon so it's been fun here. I'm looking forward to the next month in India.
