Back in 2008 when the Indian Premier League (IPL) was taking shape, the signing of the then-India captain MS Dhoni by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) created a huge buzz. It was just the foundation of what has now turned into a legacy. The charm of MSD, the endless love of Chennai fans for the yellow jersey and above all, the craziness of cricket; the Super Kings family turned so huge that now, it has extended its reach beyond the Indian borders and landed in the rainbow nation.
The SA20 in South Africa has kickstarted and the ‘Yellove’ will envelop the city of Durban when the Faf du Plessis-led Joburg Super Kings will take on the hosts in their campaign opener on Wednesday. It’s only the beauty of the Super Kings family that it has reunited some of its former members.
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Apart from getting the services of Faf du Plessis, the coaching staff remains the same, comprising Stephen Fleming and Eric Simmons. In addition, former all-rounder Albie Morkel has been roped in as the assistant coach.
Ahead of the clash against Durban Super Giants, Albie spoke at length about the magnitude of the team and working with some of the biggest cricketing brains at the Joburg Super Kings. Speaking at a select media interaction organised by the franchise, the assistant coach said the South African sibling of CSK will try and follow the latter’s footsteps in SA20.
“I think I’m very excited. We’ve tried to launch a league in South Africa in the last few years which was not successful. Hopefully, with the backing of some of the biggest franchises in the world cricket, it’s going to be a good thing for us. Obviously, with the Chennai Super Kings, it’s a massive honour to be involved again, in a setup like this and to work and learn from Stephen Fleming, Eric Simmons and Faf as a captain. I think, we are strong as a group with a lot of knowledge and experience,” Albie said in response to a News18 Cricketnext query.
“In terms of the league, I think, the association with big names and franchises guarantees longevity to the tournament. Also, as coaches, it gives us the freedom of mindset that you have a couple of years to build something. If the first season doesn’t go as per plan, there is always a next season to focus on.
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“About Chennai Super Kings, it has a strong culture. It’s a team that has been very successful and we are hoping to do the same with Joburg Super Kings,” he added.
Since it’s a new team in a brand-new league, the team members need to beat the clock when it comes to bonding and reflecting it in the field. There comes the role of head coach Fleming who, according to Albie, is brilliant at putting a new team together; something which the ex-New Zealand skipper has done in the IPL.
Albie admits that the preparation time has been pretty short but the team is ready to face that challenge upfront.
“To be a hundred per cent honest, the preparation period has been a little bit short. And it’s not just us, it’s the same for most teams. We tried to train as much as we could. We had two warm-up games last week and still waiting for a couple of players so we’ll be a full squad. It’s absorbing everything and trying to make bonds within the team and also feeling comfortable within the team and being involved in a big environment,” Albie told News18 Cricketnext.
“That’s where Stephen Fleming is very good and well-experienced in putting new teams together. That’s one of the reasons why the Chennai Super Kings are so successful.
“The games are fast and quickly on top of each other. So, there isn’t too much time to prepare in between the games. So, it’s important to keep the players mentally fresh. And we have a tactically strong captain so, in terms of that, we have all bases covered,” he concluded.
(Catch the live action of the Durban Super Giants vs Joburg Super Giants at SA20 only on JioCinema, Sports18, Colors Tamil and Sports18 Khel on Jan 10, 2023 at 9:00 PM IST)
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