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‘The team is more important’

Principal Correspondent

— Photo: PTI

Laxman.

HYDERABAD: Did V.V.S. Laxman sacrifice his ‘icon’ status for the honour of leading Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League?

“Well, I won’t call it a sacrifice. But, it is definitely a huge honour to be the captain of a side which includes so many great players,” he said, at his first media briefing after being named captain of Hyderabad for next month’s IPL tournament.

“There were lots of discussions before the auctions in Mumbai. The strategy was to get the best combination and my decision to decline the icon status was part of those efforts,” Laxman said.

“For me, the team is more important than anything else. And I do believe that we got the best combination which should be good enough to win the championship,” he asserted.

Does he have any regrets at declining the icon status now? “Certainly not. For me, cricket is top priority,” he said.

On the challenges of leading such a high-profile squad, Laxman said most of the overseas cricketers in his side, including Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Shahid Afridi, had been good friends of his for many years.

“More than that, they are all match-winners with vast experience and they all know their responsibilities. Each one of them has a role to play in the team’s success.

“Even the players picked from the catchment area are equally important. This should make my job much easier,” Laxman said.

Referring to the possible crowd reaction to Symonds in the wake of recent controversies, Laxman dismissed the issue saying that once the Australian — who he feels is a very committed cricketer — starts winning the matches, the crowds should really love him.

“No doubt, there will be mixed reactions. But the Hyderabadis — or for that matter, the Indians — are known for their wonderful appreciation of performing cricketers,” he explained.

An opportunity

The Hyderabad captain also expressed hope that there would be no sledging though there may be some heated exchange of words.

Laxman also said the IPL was a huge opportunity for him to stake his claims for a recall to the Indian one-day squad.

“This is the case not just with me. Even for the young cricketers who rub shoulders with the best should have a great chance to elevate their status with consistent performances,” Laxman said.

“I don’t think the advent of IPL will see an increasing tendency for slam-bang cricket in domestic circuit. Cricket has been changing over the last few years; it has become more aggressive, and what will be seen in future is controlled aggression for better results,” he explained.

Laxman said he believed Hyderabad coach Robin Singh’s biggest contribution could well be his reputation and the ability to transfer his own commitment levels to the team members.

“He is a fantastic cricketer who has done exceedingly well in whatever assignment was given to him in the last few years,” he said.

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