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Up to the bodies to sort issues out: Symonds

Principal Correspondent

— Photo: Nagara Gopal

Andrew Symonds.

HYDERABAD: Andrew Symonds, who is now in Hyderabad to play for Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League, has dismissed all talk of players preferring to play in IPL over their national teams.

“Please name some of those who have said so,” Symonds shot back, to a query on a reported survey on this subject. He was speaking during an interaction with the media here on Saturday. “I believe that it is the cricket bodies which should sort out this issue and see that everyone concerned is happy,” he remarked.

Symonds termed the IPL as a concept exploring new frontiers in the world of cricket. “I don’t think Test cricket or the one-day version will take a back-seat because of this. It will only see a change in the pace of the game in all forms of cricket,” he said.

“The most difficult aspect of the IPL will be when you play against your own teammates — particularly those whom you have played with for perhaps a decade or more. When you know them so well, it will be a huge task to face them on the field as rivals,” Symonds said.

A special feeling

“I have never chased records in any form of game. But, I must admit that it would be a special feeling to win the first edition of any championship,” he said.

Symonds said he felt that lack of cohesiveness as a unit could have the same effect on all teams. “May be, the biggest problem will be language. We need to have a very good communicator to sort this out because there will be different accents too,” he said.

Reflecting on the auction which saw his captain Ricky Ponting getting a comparatively lesser amount while he was the most expensive foreign cricketer in the IPL, a smiling Symonds observed: “That seems to be the beauty of the auction. However, I hope the method of trading players will change in the days to come.”

The Aussie said he was aware that the crowds in India were passionate and excited about the game. “I have not done any study on this…I’m not too concerned about it,” Symonds said.

On other teams in the IPL, the Australian said that he was not aware of the line-ups of other teams.

He picked out the Chennai Superkings as a formidable outfit.

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