IPL 2018: Michael Hussey emphasises on 'smart fielding'

The CSK outfit didn't have a good outing on Saturday, with respect to fielding, including mistimed dives and lack of agility, and would be keen to pull up its socks.

Published : Apr 09, 2018 20:41 IST , CHENNAI

 Chennai Super Kings Coach Mike Hussey dismissed the talk of Tuesday's match being termed as youth versus experience.
Chennai Super Kings Coach Mike Hussey dismissed the talk of Tuesday's match being termed as youth versus experience.
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Chennai Super Kings Coach Mike Hussey dismissed the talk of Tuesday's match being termed as youth versus experience.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey said that the focus of the team would be to 'field smart' in the coming matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The CSK outfit didn't have a good outing on Saturday, with respect to fielding, including mistimed dives and lack of agility, and would be keen to pull up its socks.

Ahead of CSK's second match, Hussey said that fielding is a cause for concern. "I think it's going to be one of the challenges of the team. We do have some older players in the team. Some people see that as a negative, but I actually see that as a positive. I think the experience that we were talking about is important in T20 cricket and that experienced players can often be the difference between winning and losing T20 games.

"Because of that experience, they've been in all tough situations before, they know how to handle the pressure. The flip side of that is, perhaps we're not going to be the most nimble or dynamic team in the field. But, we can still be smart in the field," Hussey said.

The former CSK batsman said that there is a lot of work that needs to be done in the fielding department. "In the field, there is room for improvement and there are some key areas that we're focussing on, in particular, the movement. Even if the ball goes to one section of the ground, we want players in other sections moving into areas to help out," he explained.

READ: Kedar Jadhav ruled out of IPL 2018

The batting coach said that seeing the back of Sunil Narine early would be one of the key strategy points. "The powerplay is an important phase of the game and a lot of teams pay a lot of attention to it. Getting some wickets early is something we are looking at on Tuesday. In Chennai, the spinners can play a bit of a role too," he said, hinting at spin in the first six-over period.

Hussey dismissed the talk of Tuesday's match being termed as youth versus experience. "I don’t think so. KKR has got some quality players and is a very good spin bowling team, and has some genuine match winners as well. When you look at Chris Lynn and Andre Russell, in particular, they can win a match with a bat or with the ball as well.

"So, I think the best teams generally have some good experienced players, but you do need the exuberance of youth as well. Sometimes the fearlessness of youth can be a bonus. I don’t think that will be the difference between winning and losing. In my mind, it all boils down to which team can execute its skills under pressure. From both teams, I think we have some highly skilled players and we should hopefully see a great contest," he said.

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