IPL 2018 | We want to win IPL, not here to develop young players, says Stephen Fleming
Stephen Fleming made it clear that Chennai Super Kings’ main objective is to clinch the IPL title, and they are not concerned about fine-tuning young talents. The CSK coach has also directed the critics to put a glance on the experienced performers like Chris Gayle, MS Dhoni, and Dwayne Bravo.
CSK almost got back the same core of players for the squad that brought them so much success in the previous years, before their betting scandal opened up in 2013. In those past eight years, CSK made it to six finals and even won two of them. They also won two Champions League T20 in 2010 and 2014, which meant they wanted to retain the same core despite knowing that the shortest format of the game has already moved in on a high pace since their days of glory. Their auction strategy brought back their former stars MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja through retentions, and Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis through the RTM option. CSK left no stones unturned to buy the services of older players like Ambati Rayudu (32 years old), Kedar Jadhav (33), Murali Vijay (34), Shane Watson (36), Harbhajan Singh (37) and Imran Tahir (39), which got the team a lot of flak from their fans and experts alike.
Fleming, however, discarded the concerns regarding his team's average age, which is a topic of discussion surrounding the MS Dhoni-led side since the end of player auctions in January this year. Fleming went on to explain the importance of valuing experience and why his focus was on winning the IPL for CSK, and not developing young players.
"They're 35-36, not 55-56. A massive amount has been made of it. I am not here to develop young players, I'm here to try and win the competition for the franchise. And that's why we value experience because we think that gives us the best chance," Fleming said in a press conference on Wednesday(April 24), quoted by Cricbuzz.
For a side that had set such high fielding standards during their formative years, CSK had a flat day in the field in the IPL opener against Mumbai Indians - one of the biggest concerns for a team full of 30-plus cricketers.
After that match, batting coach Michael Hussey had expressed that CSK wasn't going to be the most dynamic team in the field, but they should be smart enough. Even if CSK players don't take jaw-dropping catches like the way Trent Boult, Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes do on the field, the results of matches matter the most. Already, CSK has outspoken critics by securing four wins in five games, three of which were last-over affairs and their only defeat so far went all the way till the last ball, when KXIP defended bravely to a narrow win.
Fleming pointed out performances of Watson, Gayle, Bravo, and Dhoni in the tournament so far to further prove his point regarding age not being a barrier. He also asserted that for a long season like IPL, experienced players that carry forward the consistency more than young guns, which is something that you can’t negotiate.
"I will go back to the fact that experienced and professional players dominate a big part of the IPL. Chris Gayle has come back, playing very well. Obviously, Shane Watson and his 100 so far... Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni... These guys still have a lot of cricket to play,” says the former New Zealand captain.
"Yes, it is exciting to see young players come and perform. But over a long season, I look for consistency and professionalism. I've found that older players who are still motivated, still fit and still committed, they can provide you
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