Australian T20 legend Brad Hodge, who is the head coach of Gujarat Lions in this edition of IPL talks about his new job and the players of Gujarat Lions.
When it comes to T20 cricket, one player whom you can’t ignore is Brad Hodge. The Australian is a legend of this format having scored close to 7000 runs in his illustrious T20 career. However in this edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), we are seeing the former Rajasthan Royals (RR) player in a different role, the talented right-hander has switched over to coaching.
Click here for the full coverage of the IPL 2016, including commentary, scorecard and fixtures
In a telephonic interview with DNA, Hodge opens up about his new assignment as Gujarat Lions (GL) coach, talks about his role model and spills the beans on his future plans. Here are the excerpts:-
Is sitting in the dugout and giving instructions to the boys more challenging than running those twos and threes in the middle?
(Laughs) Look, I must admit that I love playing, I enjoy batting. But it’s great to sit there as a coach and watch the boys perform. It’s a privilege to be honest.
Recently also you have been playing in different T20 leagues across the world, your last assignment being the Pakistan Super League (PSL). So why didn’t you continue doing the same in IPL 9?
Ah, I think this was a wonderful opportunity for me to a take a different path in life. Cricket has given me 23 years of really good memories, but this is a very special venture which I was excited to be part of.
Rahul Dravid had a successful transition in the coaching arena, he guided the India A and U-19 sides and in this season he is mentoring the Delhi Daredevils (DD). Having played under him at Rajasthan, did you learn anything from him?
I learned a lot from Rahul and I have certainly taken some of his skill sets with me here at Rajkot. You must always acknowledge the skill and experience of those around you and Rahul Dravid is someone whom I look up to. He used to give me a lot of tips at Rajasthan, which I would look forward to utilise during my time with the Gujarat Lions.
There was very little time for preparation after the World T20. Was it difficult to bring together so many players from different countries in such a short span?
It was actually quite difficult anyway as we are a new franchise and it was one of the hardest tasks to gel this team as quickly as possible. I think that’s where other teams have an advantage; they know their combinations and are accustomed to way their players perform. For us it was a matter of working together and striking an understanding between these guys at the earliest.
However, I got a feel of this new job by spending a lot of time with the youngsters who were not part of the World Cup. It eased me into the coaching role as I was always busy talking to them and seeing them play in front of me.
The core part of your team comprises a lot of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players, does that help?
Of course it helps. CSK has been extremely successful in IPL and it’s important to have people in your side who have tasted success. They are winners, and when you put them together with a bunch of other winners then it becomes a strong combination.
India’s U-19 captain Ishan Kishan is quite a talent but none expected him get a chance in the very first game, any special reason for his inclusion?
You already mentioned the reason - he is an extremely talented bloke. He showed me some amazing skills in the last 7-10 days leading into the first game and so I thought it was a good opportunity for me to give him a chance. We have got quite a lot of experience in our squad, so why not add a youth to it who is very excited to be part of IPL.
Today you all are playing against another new franchise (Rising Pune Supergiants) which in spite of being new to the competition like Gujarat Lions (GL), has a lot of star players from CSK and RR. Any particular plans for them?
We plan for every team and it will be nothing different with Pune. We will be doing what we had done in the first match, hopefully we execute them properly.
Click here for the full coverage of Gujarat Lions v/s Rising Pune Supergiants match, IPL 2016
Rajkot wicket produces high scoring games and generally if the bowlers are off target, then they can go for plenty. So is backing your aggressive batting line-up more important or is the focus on bowling?
There’s no absolute focus on any particular aspect. This is our first match at Rajkot and we will see how the things pan out. The most important objective would be to get accustomed to the wicket which looks great for batting. We have skilful bowlers and the batting unit is also very strong, so if we can use that firepower then things will fall into place.
Dale Steyn had a topsy-turvy World T20 outing. Will he be in action pretty soon?
Certainly he will be in action, but I am not sure when. He didn’t get sufficient game time due to his injury before the World T20, but now he is up and running again and ready to go. I am sure he will do full justice to any opportunity that comes along.
Suresh Raina has been captaining his state in Ranji Trophy, but for the first time he will be leading such a big unit comprising quite a few international captains. What would you like to say about his leadership skills?
Raina is a very good captain. He hasn’t got that many opportunities which he is getting now. He has had a constant authority on the game and having played behind Dhoni in Chennai, this is a real good platform for him to express himself as a leader and lead by example and also use the knowledge of the other international captains in the team. Having the likes of McCullums and Bravos is great for you as a skipper.
You have played in IPL since it’s inception. What do you think is the most challenging aspect of this league?
I think it is the most high profile competition in the world, and the skill sets of the players involved are amazing. Here you have to prepare yourself for all the 14 games and aim to be at the top of your game on every match day. There are no weak teams here and that’s the most challenging part of the event.
Having played so much cricket across so many leagues around the world. Do you feel bad that you didn’t get that many opportunities to represent your country?
No not at all. I am happy with the amount of contribution I have done to Australian cricket. If I had played more for my country, then may be the opportunities of playing in IPL or certain other leagues would not have come my way. I have always given my 100 percent to this game and that’s good enough for me.
What are your post IPL plans?
I will keep playing as well as do a bit of coaching here and there. The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is up next and then there is Big Bash, so I will mix and match both the jobs.
Thanks for your time have a great IPL.
Thanks mate.
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