Gayle is only human: Gillespie

After having defeated Delhi Daredevils in a must-win game, Kings XI Punjab now look to maintain their winning run in IPL 2011 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Speaking to the press ahead of the team’s crucial encounter, KXIP bowling coach Jason Gillespie spoke about coming up with plans for the RCB batsmen and the bowlers who’s impressed him in IPL 2011.

Excerpts from the pre-match press-conference:

On having specific plans for Chris Gayle as the bowling coach of KXIP

We’ll certainly make some plans for Chris Gayle. He’s been in wonderful form. But while we’ll be coming up with some plans for Gayle, it will be pretty foolish of us to discount the other very good plays in the [Royal Challengers] Bangalore side. So we’ll certainly be having a plan for all their batters. But yes, for Chris we will try and come up with something since he is in very special form and we have to try and negate that.

On the morale in the KXIP squad after three consecutive wins

I think the guys are really enjoying each other’s company and playing some good cricket. What we’ve been able to do is get our batting and bowling sorted in the one game. There have been a lot of games which we went down in, where we either batted really well and bowled poorly or vice-versa. So to be able to bat and bowl equally well in games has shown that we can mix it with the top teams. There is no doubt about that.

On whether KXIP are focussed intently on the points table

No, we don’t really focus on that too much. We don’t even really focus on the result of the game. We try to make sure that in all the disciplines of the game we can do as best as we can and as consistently as we can. And our belief is that if we do execute our skills to the best of our ability the result will take care of itself.

On whether bowling to an in-form batsman like Chris Gayle can be intimidating for a bowler

It certainly presents a unique challenge. What we are talking about with our bowlers is making sure that their preparation is as best as it can be. And [I ask them to] just go out there with the belief that the plan will work if you bowl in the right areas. Chris Gayle is only human. He can nick a ball like anyone else, or miss one. So he is in good form but our belief is that if we bowl to our plan and back that up with some really positive, strong body-language in the field, we can restrict RCB to a lower score.

On whether Gayle’s is the key wicket in the game against RCB

It will certainly be nice to knock him over for not many tomorrow. There is no doubt about that. But as I said before, we’d be pretty silly to just focus on Chris Gayle.

On the bowlers who have impressed him this IPL

There’s been a number [of them]. From the Delhi Daredevils, Varun Aaron, I think; he bowls with real pace. That’s a good sign for India. I think Ishant Sharma is a fantastic bowler. He certainly has come along in the last couple of years from what I have seen from afar. I think he is a very good bowler and he is only going to get better. And then I look at our line-up and, obviously, there is Praveen Kumar. For a guy who has spent a bit of time on the sidelines, he’s coming back from an injury, he’s performed quite well for us. [He’s] probably one of the most skilful bowlers in world cricket. He can swing the ball both ways. [He] puts batsmen under pressure. There are a number of bowlers going around India and, I think, the bowling stocks are quite rich.