IPL 2018 | Kolkata Knight Riders appoint Heath Streak as bowling coach

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak has been announced as the new bowling coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League and will work with Dinesh Karthik once again. Streak will replace L Balaji, who was hired as the bowling coach for the Chennai Super Kings.

Streak was the coach of the Gujarat Lions franchise last year and worked closely with Dinesh Karthik who will lead the KKR franchise this time around. He will also benefit from the presence of other backroom staff members like Simon Katich and Jacques Kalis. The post was remained vacant after Balaji declined an extension with the two-time champions and instead chose to go to his former club CSK to take up the same role.

"DK is a lovely guy and he's got a very astute cricket brain," Streak told Sportstar while speaking about his reunion with Karthik at KKR as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

"He is a very open-minded guy and is open to listening. The best thing is he loves the game, loves talking about it and he was a good friend in the two years we had spent at Gujarat Lions."

Kolkata Knight Riders kept a close eye on the ICC Under-19 World Cup and picked up talented pacers like Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi in the team to help experienced players like Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson. Streak seemed impressed by the young sensations and hoped to make them perfect during his time with KKR.

"They really look technically sound, so for me, it is about giving them good tactical support and helping them out," Streak said.

"Playing at the U-19 World Cup is very different from playing in the IPL against highly-experienced players.

"They have got the skills and resources to be able to do that; it's just helping them make smart decisions, especially under pressure. That's what it is all about -- playing in the big league."

However, ahead of the league, the franchise is struggling with injuries as their two star players, Chris Lynn and Andre Russell, have been ruled out the Pakistan Super League due to injury concerns. While they are expected to be fit by the time the IPL starts, but their biggest concern came yesterday when they got the news that Sunil Narine's bowling has been reported once again.

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