Gujarat Lions have some good domestic players who can represent India in near future: Heath Streak

Former Zimbabwe all-rounder Heath Streak is with the Gujarat Lions team for Indian Premier League season 9 as their bowling coach. Streak is currently the bowling coach of Bangladesh but he does not have an exclusive contract with the national team and that enables him to take up the IPL job.

Streak has been rewarded for his good show with Bangladesh team as a bowling coach. He said, “I have been coaching in international cricket from past five years and I will take that experience from there and helping the players here in IPL and I am very lucky to have many experienced bowlers in my side so I just need to support them”

We have seen many Indian players doing well in IPL and getting chances to represent India and Heath Streak also believed that his team has players who can represent India by performing well in the IPL 9.

“I think we have seen lots of young guys came through the IPL in international cricket and this is just the stage where they can show their real talent. We have some very good youngsters in our team who will be pushing themselves to get into the Indian team by performing well in this IPL” He added here at the SCA stadium in Khandheri on Sunday where Gujarat Lions players started practice.

“I think stats have proved the impact of spinners in T20 cricket specifically here in sub-continent and already in this T20 World Cup, we have seen the impact of spinners on the result of the matches” He also added when asked about the importance of spinners in the T20 format.

Players have invented many shots to make bowlers life difficult and the Zimbabwean also expressed his opinion about that. “T20 format is a big challenge for all bowlers and it does not matter whether you are a fast bowler or a spinner. I think the game has evolved so much that team have managed to chase down big totals now-a-days and this wicket here in Gujarat is a good batting wicket so you will see many high scoring games,” he said.

Gujarat Lions have many all-rounders in their team. When asked about plus points of his team, he added, “I think just all-round experience of the team plus we have got some very good match-winners in our team who can win us matches on their own and that’s big positive point for us but we will focus on team effort and everyone contributing to team’s success”

Heath Streak has done a fabulous job with young Bangladeshi pacers and he worked with Indian domestic bowlers in the practice session of Gujarat Lions on Sunday, when asked about the difference between both bowlers, he said, “It’s still early days for me. I think it really comes down for their desire to improve the game and today I worked with many guys and they are hungry to learn and improve their game and I just want to help them in doing that and explore their own abilities and take it to the next level and one day they can do that for their country”

“I think all teams are threat in this format but we are focusing more in our own abilities and what we can do and focus in our own abilities and respect the oppositions but we will focus in our own abilities and conditions.” He also added when asked about which teams will be a bigger threat to Gujarat Lions in the upcoming IPL 9.

Zimbabwe have not done well in the recently concluded ICC World T20 2016 and he expressed his disappointment towards it and also expressed his views on current Zimbabwe team.

“I am disappointed with Zimbabwe team because they had the chance to qualify but Afghanistan played really good cricket and Zimbabwe have to do some work and they will go back to the drawing board and pick themselves up”

“Zimbabwe team has changed and the team have to find good players and they have also lost good players like Brendon Taylor, Kyle Jarvis and TatendaTaibu and that made it more difficult for them” He also added.

He will work along with Brad Hodge who is the head coach of the team captained by Suresh Raina.

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