A big opportunity for the youngsters, Muttiah Muralitharan on TNPL

VB Thiruvallur Veerans have appointed the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan as their team mentor ahead of the second season of the India Cements Ltd. TNPL. The Sri Lankan spin wizard spoke to the media at Hotel Savera, Chennai, on Saturday (July 15).

Here are Excerpts from the interaction:

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After having coached the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), how different is it going to be for you to work in the India Cements Ltd. TNPL?

Bharat Arun will coach the Veerans. I am more like a mentor to the team. I am here to encourage the boys and also bring more awareness to the set-up. I will also make sure that every player knows about what he means to the Veerans team. These are my duties and I believe only person should command the team from the coaching side. That responsibility will be handled by Bharat. I am there to help them with anything they need.

What are the specific areas that you would like to concentrate on?

All of us will be focusing on how to win games; that is more important than anything else. We need to compete with the other seven teams and try to be the best.

You have been coaching in the IPL as well. How would you like to explore coaching options in future?

I have been part of the SRH team as a coach as well as a mentor. In tournaments like these, it is hard to be a one-on-one coach because your objective is to win matches and you pick players accordingly. We can advise them how to give better performances rather than provide technical guidance because it is going to be a short tournament. It is important for us to give our cricketers a good environment so that they play well. That is the main motive of coaching in tournaments like the India Cements Ltd. TNPL and the IPL.

Sri Lankan cricket is going through a lot of problems right now. Do you feel someone like you or (Kumar) Sangakkara or (Mahela) Jayawardene should be with the team? Or, are you okay with foreign support staff?

I will answer this question briefly because I am here to answer only about the India Cements Ltd. TNPL and VB Thiruvallur Veerans. I have not been involved with Sri Lankan cricket since I retired six or seven years ago. So, I don’t understand what is going on there. To give my thoughts without knowing the real picture wouldn’t be right. There is a problem, yes. The performances have come down and they have to rectify it. They need to think of a solution at the moment because me, Sangakkara or Mahela won’t be a solution at the moment. We all have so many roles right now; Sangakkara is playing cricket, and Mahela and I are coaching and mentoring.

What are your thoughts on India’s tour of Sri Lanka starting later this month?

Obviously, India will be the favourites, but you never know because anything can happen in cricket! There can be a surprise as well.

How much has Ravi Ashwin improved as a bowler from the time you first saw him?

When he first played international cricket, Ashwin was very talented. He is now just tweaking his talents by gaining experience and playing with better players. That experience he gained from playing in the IPL. MS Dhoni believed in him and brought him into the Indian side. Ashwin is a smart cricketer and he grew from strength to strength after that. No bowler in the history is unplayable; it depends on how well he does on that given day.

Extra cover: Heart lies in Tamil Nadu, Muttiah Muralitharan after being announced as mentor of VB Thiruvallur Veerans

With Chennai Super Kings (CSK) back in the IPL next year, can we expect you to be in associated with them in some way?

I have another two or three years on my contract with the Sunrisers (SRH), so I will have a long stint with them. If the opportunity arises in future, then why not? CSK was the best team of the tournament. They had a better record than any other team in the IPL.

How do you view their comeback next year?

It is going to be hard because they need to build the team from scratch and they had formed a core. Year after year, they kept the same team but now the team will be scattered. We don’t know what are the rules and regulations of the IPL, regarding retention policy and so on. They have a smart management staff and will pick good players, I am sure. It will be tough for them to start again, but they will pick a good team, I am sure.

The spinners have been dominating the world rankings in the last few years. What do you think is the reason?

During my time, too, spinners were good, especially during the fourth and fifth days where we had lot of opportunities to get wickets. There are a lot of talented spinners in the world and hence they get more wickets.

What are your fondest memories of Chennai and Tamil Nadu?

My grandfather is from here; he hailed from a place close to Namakkal district. I used to come here when I was young and even before playing cricket, I travelled a lot in and around Tamil Nadu. That connectivity was always there and then got married to a Tamilian as well. In the first IPL, I played for CSK. These are fond memories that I treasure.

Ashwin and Jadeja have been quite lethal together. How do you see them as a pair? Also, what are your thoughts on the challenges they could face when India tour Sri Lanka and, then, South Africa?

In India, they are going to be difficult to play against. In Sri Lanka, it depends on what type of wickets they bowl on. Sri Lanka have not been playing well at the moment, so they can capitalise on that. In South Africa or other countries, it would be tougher for them because there are not too many spin-friendly wickets there.

How do you find Kuldeep Yadav?

He has shown that if he gets an opportunity, he can bowl well and he is definitely a good prospect for India. Different bowlers have different skills. When given regular opportunities, I am sure he will perform well.