The IPL has raised quite a few concerns. SA is avoiding a potential lawsuit and Wessels, relieved now of his Chennai Super Kings, is warning that Australia may not be as beaten as India may have made them look.
No one is taking Australia lightly. They may have been beaten fair and square but only a fool would take a wounded tiger for dead. That seems to be the case with New Zealand and Kepler Wessels is hoping the same will be the case with South Africa when they go to Australia in a month’s time.
India has opened up gaping wounds in Australia’s weakened armour that saw more misaligned strategies and plans that failed the execution rather than a dip in personnel. But to think that now it is only a matter of scavenging is a game of the folly. Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand skipper, stated as much that he was afraid that Ponting and his men may even exhibit something akin to a backlash from the smarting of the defeat at the hands of India.
Wessels has confirmed that his contract as coach of the Chennai Super Kings had expired and was not up for renewal. While Chennai have decided to go with Stephen Fleming for the coach’s job (another matter that they actually bought the former New Zealand skipper who could not quite turn it on), Wessels has directed his focus back to South Africa.
Wessels has expressed apprehension that while Australia will still be playing tough cricket at home, South Africa may not be able to capitalize on Australia’s weaknesses or hone their own given that their opposition ahead of the big battle would be teams such as Kenya and now Bangladesh.
Wessels, who was himself a part of the twenty20 club extravaganza, is perhaps now feeling that it was a distraction. Certainly he is opposed to the idea of the Eastern Titans and Dolphins including players like AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla for the Twenty20 Champions League when he feels they would be better off acclimatizing to pace and bounce in Australia.
Not all things have been as simple as Mike Hussey’s in Australia. Western Australia accepted Hussey’s contention that he would be better off representing Chennai because he did not want to stand in the way of a young Australians player (Mr. Lalit Modi, are you listening?) and besides, the Western Australian players had actually contributed to get the team in this position and it would be unfair to occupy a place then.
One player who is wanting nothing to do with South Africa when IPL opens its next chapter on the IPL’s international event is Albie Morkel. Albie has decided to stick to the Chennai Super Kings, thereby saying no to his Eastern Titans team. It is nothing something the board would have expected or wanted and it is obvious they would have pushed further but see little point in creating a judicial constraint in the midst of such a tight international schedule.
Matters are getting interesting as priorities are being delineated.
