Gilly wants Hyderabad right on top

Hard-hitting Australian Adam Gilchrist has served a warning to the rivals of the Hyderabad team in the Indian Premier League as he promised much more of his swashbuckling stroke play during the 44-day tournament that kicks off on April 18. “You will see the same free-flowing Gilchrist, and I want the Hyderabad team right on top,” the Hyderabad vice-captain told this newspaper in an exclusive telephonic interview. Excerpts:
How do you look at Twenty20 cricket?
I must admit that I was a reluctant starter with it, uncertain whether it will hold a place in the cricket society but am well and truly convinced having experienced it more and played a little bit that it is a valuable product. If used well and wisely, it will help the Board in promoting it in developing cricket nations and also introducing new audiences to the game. It is an entertainment product and something I really look forward to being a part of.
Critics question your motivation level in IPL because you have already retired from international cricket…
That’s not the way I see it. Anyone who has played international sport realises that the competitive instincts in you get activated the moment you are in any type of competition, be it a friendly match or a Test match. Once you’re in you’re addicted to the competition. Just because I’ve retired from international cricket doesn’t mean I will lose that competitive instinct and the desire not only to see the Hyderabad team succeed but also see this concept succeed because I’ve given myself to the competition. So, I want to make sure it’s successful and look back in 20 or 30 years like the gentlemen involved in World Series Cricket (in the 1970s) who must be very proud of what they did for the game. I want to see the IPL succeed just as much as anything and obviously want the Hyderabad team right on top. I will be enjoying and playing just like I have been doing all along.
Now that you are no longer with the Australian team, how do you practice to stay in form?
In the Australian team when you’re together, you’re training as a group but when you get time in your home state you train on your own. I’ve got a batting coach in Perth I’ve always used for 10 years. I’ll utilise his services as usual and stay fit irrespective of whether I am playing any cricket or not. I’ve always had a healthy lifestyle so I don’t see any of that as being an issue personally.
Commentator Tony Greig says you retired early for IPL money…
No, he’s incorrect. I am not sure where Tony is getting that information from but that’s ill informed. I respect Tony and get on well with him. When I announced my retirement, I was not eligible to play in the IPL because there was talk of a two-year stand off period where you weren’t allowed pre-mature retirement. I am not sure what the rule is or whether it should be invoked without perhaps players taking legal action but I am happy to go on record to say it wasn’t the reason I retired. I just realised it was time to move into a new phase of life. It is a wonderful bonus for me that IPL has come around at this stage and I am very excited being a part of it, particularly in this inaugural year and wherever it may lead to in the years to come. I am thrilled that I am getting this chance even though I have decided to finish my international career but I definitely didn’t say I am going to prematurely retire to go and chase big dollars in the IPL.
Could the recent bad blood between Australia and India have been avoided? What can be done to restore good relations?
I don’t think for a moment that the relations are beyond repair. It’s obviously been a dramatic few months and there have been many issues but the way to move forward is for everybody to reflect on that time, learn and move forward. Not just not players but the administrators, sections of the media can learn from that time and identify the mistakes and attempt not to repeat them. Things happen at the spur of the moment, decisions are made and then you try and deal with it. We cannot change what’s happened but let’s just learn from it. The rivalry that is well and truly entrenched in India-Australia contests is great… it’s healthy as long as we all remain accountable and responsible for our actions.
In a funny kind of way I think everything that has happened has only come about because both teams respect each other as the No.1 and 2 teams in the world whether that is proven statistically or not — South Africa may be heading the ICC rankings but I think Australia and India are the top two teams. In the 10-12 years that I have played, Indians are the ones who consistently gave us the toughest battles.
As regards sledging, Harbhajan Singh says you are not a saint on the field either…
I don’t hold any grudge against Harbhajan at all. I agree I am not a saint and I don’t see many playing international cricket... I am yet to come across one to be honest. I guess he was referring to any verbal jousting on the field and I’ve been part of that ever since I’ve been playing competitive cricket in Australia… that’s the way we were brought up. It’s very apparent in international cricket, not just the Australians or the Indians in recent times… it’s been going on forever. Obviously, there is a point you reach when you make a decision as a player whether you want to pursue it further or if it’s cut off point. Hopefully, I will always walk away before it reaches that point. Even now I have a few verbal joustings with Harbhajan on the field but I have found him an interesting guy off the field. He is one of the best bowlers I have faced, with whom I have had some amazing tussles. But I have enjoyed getting to know him off the field as I have known plenty of opponents.
Can IPL mend fences because most of them would be playing on the same teams?
Yes, I think the IPL is very timely in that regard. One of the unique things about sport, especially cricket, is every country has a different style of players, some rely on slow bowling, some on fast bowling, some on attacking batting. The conditions vary from country to country… there is something wonderfully unique about a home and away series. Some teams are more aggressive than other sides, some players are more aggressive than others within the team. But the great thing about IPL is we will learn more about each other and about each other’s cultures and customs and the countries that they come from. That will promote better understanding.
Do you think Twenty20 will affect the one-dayers and the more pure, Tests?
The one-day game may be affected and perhaps limited a little bit. I don’t see ODIs disappear but T20 may encroach on that territory. But I believe Test cricket will continue to flourish. Tests survived the onset of one-dayers some 20 or 30 years ago and I don’t see T20 overtaking Test cricket. Players will still very much want to represent their countries in Test cricket as well.
Let’s see how the first IPL goes, by which time the administrators will know more about it, players will know more about it. There will be a time when everything will settle down and international cricket will be the focus but the IPL will be an extremely exciting component of the world schedule. I think that’s the only positive for the game.
Having been a walker yourself, do you think very few players walking these days even if they know they are out coupled with increasing umpiring errors, is affecting the game?
The umpiring is coming under so much scrutiny these days with technology, TV cameras and press exposure. The expectation from those guys is greater than those of the players so any mistake is highlighted so much. I have always been reluctant to talk about increasing use of technology in umpiring but I am starting to think we might need to go that way. The resources, money and the training are not being reinvested into umpiring to see them get better at the rate that the game is moving. I feel sorry for the umpires.
With regard to walking, I think that’s an individual choice, you do or you don’t. What I can’t tolerate is selective walking —you do it at times when it looks good and don’t during crunch time.
Given India’s recent show, do you think the Australian domination of world cricket is beginning to end?
Not for a moment do I think Australia would fall by the way side… I think they will still remain competitive but it remains to be seen if they are able to dominate like the team that has done for 10 or 12 years. What people should realise is that when you lose almost 50 per cent of your team — the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn, it’s going to affect the balance of the side and have short-term remedial effects. Australia has managed to maintain a strong standard since last summer when those guys left and there’s another challenge now as another player leaves them to fill that void. The reality is once you lose bowlers like Warne or McGrath that does bring you back to the ground a bit.
How much do you know about Hyderabad?
I have been there on a couple of fleeting visits, about eight years apart. I love Indian food and am very fond of the biryani, which I realise is very famous out of Hyderabad too, something I am very much looking forward to. I love the spicy stuff and can’t get there and have plenty more of the local fare.
But I am really looking forward to learning more about the city and making many friends there. When I do something I do whole-heartedly and commit to it. It’s exciting to open up a new area I’ve been to. Of course I am very happy to be playing alongside VVS Laxman, with whom I’ve locked horns with on the field several times. He always used to smash us around.
What can Hyderabad expect from you?
Hopefully they’ll see more of what they’ve seen in my international career, both on and off the field. I play the game to enjoy. The aspect of cricket that I love most is the fact that you are in a team, you’ve got teammates, supporters and support staff to share that experience with. That will be no different in this concept. I can’t wait to link up with some of these guys I’ve been playing against for a number of years. Also, getting to help some of the Indian youngsters is going to be the intriguing part of the tour. Hyderabad can expect a happy face, hopefully smiling all of the time and someone who’s looking forward to learning a lot from them as well.