Along with scoring fast runs in the last overs, it is important to take wickets in the middle overs: Bollis
NEW DELHI: New Punjab Kings coach Trevor Bayliss is looking to improve on aspects such as late-overs scoring fast with the bat and picking up more wickets in the middle overs with the bowling in a bid to end the Indian Premier League title drought. In the last season of IPL, the Punjab team was at the sixth position. The team has reached the final of this tournament only once in 2014. Bayliss is a World Cup winning coach and under his guidance Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have won two IPL titles.
Punjab Kings will hope that his arrival will bring consistency in the team’s performance. With the presence of players like Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Arshdeep Singh, the Punjab team looks strong on paper. The team bought Curran for a record Rs 18.50 crore in the auction held earlier this year. The 60-year-old Australian coach spoke to ‘PTI-Bhasha’ about his preparations for the IPL and his expectations from the players. Bayliss said, “Last year we lacked such batsmen who could score fast runs in the last over. That was the reason why we decided to include a young all-rounder like Sam Curran in the team.He will strengthen the middle order batting and he is also a world class bowler.
He said, “From a batting point of view, we want the top-order players to score 70-80 runs, which will make the job of the middle order easier.” The team will play its opening match against. Bayliss is working to create a pressure-free environment in the team as it is essential for success. He said, “He has a passion for this game, so I want him to play the game in the same way for which he was involved in it.”
“It doesn’t guarantee success but we will enjoy it and play with a smile on our face but we will work hard during practice when we need to,” he said. See, if you pick up wickets in the middle overs then it will be very difficult to beat you. Taking wickets in the middle overs is very important.
