Bench strength will be key – http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292 – Cricket News Update
The former Pakistan captain and the bowling coach of the Indian Premier League franchise the Kolkata Knight Riders, Wasim Akram feels that the bench strength will be the key during the gruelling season five of the IPL, spanning almost
eight weeks.
The season five of the cash rich Twenty20 league kicked-off in Chennai last night, Wednesday April 4, 2012, with the tournament opener played between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, with the latter winning
the match convincingly by 8 wickets. It will run till May 27 with nine teams playing 74 matches across the country.
Akram said that with so much travelling involved, the esteemed event will be a real test of fitness.
"With all the travel involved and summer upon us, fitness will be the key. Hence bench strength and fitness levels will be crucial," said the former http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 pacer, who is a bowling consultant with King Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders
(KKR).
The legendary pace bowler is more interested in seeing how the ageing horses, which includes http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-Dravid-c2229 respond to the hectic schedule.
"It will be interesting to see how senior Indian players like Ganguly, Dravid, Tendulkar, Sehwag and Zaheer cope up. They all have major roles to play for their respective teams," Akram added further.
Sourav Ganguly, who led the Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three editions of the premier league, will be captaining the Pune http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 Indians, and he has relinquished the captaincy to teammate
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Delhi-c780 Daredevils’ side.
Wasim Akram is also keen to see how http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 earlier this year and again in the Asia Cup.
"IPL 5 will tell us how much Ravindra Jadeja has evolved as a cricketer. He started promisingly on the Australian tour but faded out,” said the 45-year-old former Pakistan skipper, adding that the 23-year-old all-rounder will be under pressure to justify
his price that Chennai paid to acquire his services.
"Kohli now needs to keep his feet firmly grounded and enforce the belief that he is captaincy material," Akram added further.
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