Sunrisers Hyderabad has a potent spin unit, says Muttiah Muralitharan

“We have an attack which has the balance and the ability to take wickets in any conditions,” says the team’s bowling coach.

[From left] Muttiah Muralitharan, V. V. S. Laxman, and Tom Moody at a media interaction in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s spin attack will be much stronger this year than in previous years, according to bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan. Besides leg-spinner Rashid Khan, the side possesses left-arm spinners in Shahbaz Nadeem and Abhishek Sharma.

“We already got ‘the’ bowler — Rashid Khan. Yes, the spinners struggled a bit last season. Now, we have an attack which has the balance and the ability to take wickets in any conditions,” Murali said at the interaction here on Wednesday.

Murali was impressed by the simplicity of the players of the squad, including the big names. “They are all great characters without any egos and always look for team effort. This is the key of our work ethics in [Sunrisers Hyderabad] as we begin our campaign,” he said.

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According to Tom Moody, the head coach, however, the biggest strength of the side is its flexibility. “This is what players like Jonny Bairstow bring to the team. We have great confidence in the team and don’t depend on any individual. We emphasise the need for the team to click like a unit and it has done exceptionally well in the previous editions,” he said.

Warner ‘raring to go’

Moody expressed confidence in David Warner, who makes a comeback to elite-level cricket via the IPL. “For any world-class player to be away from a game, you need to do lot of catching up. But from [the] interaction I had so far with him, he shows unquenchable appetite to succeed. [He] is very positive and raring to go,” he said.

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The likely departure of some of the big players ahead of the latter half of the season will not have a drastic effect on the team, Moody felt. “Every player is well prepared to rise to the occasion. And, we will back them for sure,” he said.

According to V. V. S. Laxman, the mentor, the possibility of young talents to become stars as the IPL progresses should serve as a big motivating factor for players. “The kind of energy and enthusiasm the youngsters show is infectious and they look potential stars,” he said.

Sunrisers plays its first match of the season on Sunday, March 24, 2019, against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.