IPL injuries aggravate Kirsten's concerns

To some it is an entertainment and reasons to hold jolly, raunchy post-match parties. For others it becomes a concern when the injury list of top players keeps growing.

Corrie van Zyl, South Africa’s permanent coach in waiting, is not the only one eyeing the increasing file on the state of fitness of some members of the South African squad playing in the Indian Premier League. Gary Kirsten is another viewing with some trepidation the condition of key IPL performers and who among the Indian squad will come through intact and available for the ICC WorldT20 jamboree in the West Indies.

For Van Zyl and Kirsten, the IPL is not a time for revelry whether before or after a game. While monitoring the latest reports on the health of Graeme Smith, all-rounder Justin Kemp and young left-arm talented swing and seam, Wayne Parnell, Van Zyl is relying on the daily telegraph communication of his own players in the IPL and is keeping his fingers crossed that these three cogs in the thirty-man squad for the Caribbean event will recover in time and others will stay fit.

So far Kirsten’s main concern is how bad are the injuries carried by Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra. Even the Sri Lanka media have run reports of a visit to the island by Gambhir and Nehra for ayurvedic treatment to sort of the hamstring ailments. If Zaheer Khan, or another of the 30 pulls up with an injury, what then? A visit to an ayurvedic clinic in Colombo in the hope of finding a miracle cure?

It is ten months since Kirsten predicted that India would have a problem in the second version of the ICC WorldT20 big bash in England. He was pessimistic how the title won in South Africa in 2007 could be retained and gave mitigating reasons as well.

He might have similar thoughts now about trying to win the title back from neighbours Pakistan in the steamy Caribbean in May. Last year, the side was hit by injuries to some key players, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan, were two notable names on the list with Sehwag invalided out of the series in such a way he didn’t get a game.

It was largely as a result of injuries picked up during the IPL that was held, for security reasons, in South Africa and for which he was criticised when stating its myopic approach to his needs. It didn’t allow the Team India management to keep in contact with not only the top Indian players, but in particular with those India players who needed monitoring during the frenetic passages of the IPL. Fitness becomes a key factor and injuries are part of the concern.

Lalit Modi and the IPL management gave Kirsten’s close observation plans a major middle-finger snub and which he did not deserve for as India’s coach he was carrying out his duties and his objections were ignored.

An uncaring Indian, in fact media in general, didn’t like his comments. Far too many began piling on the bandwagon of criticism suggesting it was an excuse because it was popular and suited their thinking. Slam the coach, not the cause (injuries sustained in Modi’s IPL), for an early undignified exit from a tournament in which India were defending champions.

It is known that New Zealand coach, Mark Greatbatch, is worried about Shane Bond’s fitness in the IPL, mistakenly referred to as the Indian Professional League by a mischief-making South African hack of dubious knowledge who has been highlighting only security concerns and money involved, not the injury concerns voiced by Van Zyl.

As at present, most New Zealand and Australian players in the ICC T20 World event are involved, as are England, in Test series, it is easy for their management teams to keep an eye on current fitness of the players. But when it comes to the IPL, there are extra concerns as different management teams are involved. As were those so ready to criticise Kirsten last year seem to forget, the IPL franchises support teams are beholden to their paymasters who are not those at national level.

One example is the way the Sri Lanka captain, Kumar Sangakkara is keeping an eye on the fitness and form of the country’s squad players in the IPL. This is not, it is suggested, because there are a number playing for opposing franchises, but to alert the national management squad’s fitness trainer and physio should the need arose.

Last week, Sri Lanka’s selection committee headed by Ashantha de Mel, caused nationwide hilarity in the media over a policy change. They performed a major volte face howler by suddenly adding the name of a 36-year-old batsman, Jeevantha Kulatunga to the 30-man possibles squad. It now becomes 31 names and the excuses used to explain the addition were even more slapstick after it had been pointed out in the media how Kulatunga was the leading run-scorer in the recently concluded domestic provincial T20 series with 277 runs and average of 69.25.

When the decision was heavily criticised with a story in one media outlet headlined ‘No country for Old Men’, it was claimed in a media release by SLC that the selectors had brought him in as cover for players who are injured without explaining who the injured players are. As Sri Lanka have five key members in the IPL in batting positions and none are at present injured, it raises the eyebrow. And as one, Sanath Jayasuriya at the age of 40 is aspiring to join the ranks of the politicians while the IPL is taking place, questions are being asked who among the Sri Lanka 31 are injured.

Of course when the final team is announced on Monday, it could change and Chaminda Vaas may yet get a chance to say farewell to an international career in the Caribbean. Maybe not as there is still the 2001 CWC event and the national selectors are hoping there will be a serious drop in his IPL form.

Whether though the ayurvedic treatment will help Gambhir and Nehra is another matter and one where Kirsten will be holding a close watching brief in the hope that others won’t fall victim to sprains, twisted ankles, pulled groins and damaged fingers as the frenetic pace of the IPL caravan moves on with raucous hype and accompanying fatuous Modi circus acts. A young friend tagged the IPL as LSD (loss success drama). She has a point.