Deccan Chargers, the IPL 2 winners, will not impose any curfew on the controversial Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds during the inaugural October 8-23 Champions League Twenty20 tournament.“No, we don’t have a curfew with the Chargers. Our coach Darren Lehmann has been very good as he allows us to have some fun but when we get onto the field its just cricket,” said the burly all-rounder here today.
It may be noted that the Australian cricket team had sent back the troubled Symonds home after he had breached the team rules during the Ashes Series in England earlier this year.
Symonds, who played a leading role in the later stage of Chargers triumph in South Africa, said he is very much focused for this tournament. “My focus is very much with the Chargers in this tournament and in the IPL 2010. Just aiming to get out there and do well in the next few weeks,” he said.
The all-rounder did admit he missed being part of the Australian national team. “I don’t sit there and regret that I am not playing there. I am happy of my time there and my energies are concentrated to do well for the Chargers.
“Meanwhile, skipper Adam Gilchrist said there was no favourites for this tournament.
“I think every team has potential match winners. I was asked whether Indians will know teams that aren’t IPL teams and I said you will know the players of almost all the teams and I believe that there three to four teams that can actually play international cricket. Every team has four to five international players and there is going to be no problem when it comes to having interest in this tournament. I think the standard of cricket that you will witness will be higher than even IPL.
“Gilichrist said they would not carry burden of expectations. “After the frustrations in IPL 1 we have realised that we have got to enjoy our success. So, we don’t carry any extra pressure at all.
“The skipper said VVS Laxman would be part of the scheme of things for Chargers. “We have guys who are playing different types of cricket and VVS has featured prominently in the Lancashire county season. I was in the UK and saw him on television and he played quite beautifully in the Twenty20 games,” he said.
Gilchrist clarified that he never said he wasn’t required during the IPL 2. “There is no truth in this. He is a class player. He took the disappointments of not being involved in the last few games extremely well and trained hard and helped the youngsters well. He is trying to learn like the rest of us and try and keep improving. He is very much a required player and has every chance of featuring not only in this tournament but in many more tournaments in the future.
Deccan Chargers meet Somerset in their opening match on October 10 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
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