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Feature
Bushrangers and Daredevils lock horns even before CLT20 begins
2009-09-02
By Jon Pierik
While the players will be the box-office attraction of the Champions League Twenty20 show, it's not only the on-field talent that has been in demand leading into the inaugural tournament.
Greg Shipperd had found himself in the awkward position of having not only coached Victorian Bushrangers into the final of the Australian Twenty20 Big Bash competition, thereby claiming a spot in the CLT20, but also having guided IPL side Delhi into cricket's richest world club tournament.
Both teams understandably wanted Shipperd, but hometown loyalty to the Bushrangers ultimately won this battle. The Daredevils, however, will still have a Victorian flavor, with Bushrangers assistant coach David Saker guiding Virender Sehwag and company through the Champions League T20 tournament.
Adding to the intrigue, the two teams will clash in their opening match â at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
"Cricket Victoria was very shrewd in their early negotiations with the coach," Shipperd said. "I am very comfortable to be here representing Victoria. At Having said that, I think Delhi is very well placed as well with David Saker as their interim coach. We are playing each other in the first round so it's going to be a titantic clash and create a lot of interest around the world. We have got seven internationally accredited players and Delhi has got a maximum of eleven to choose from so it's going to be high competition."
It will also be "high competition" in the Victorian team, with talent aplenty to choose from. Discarded international Brad Hodge remains the batting kingpin, while the poise of a David Hussey and heavy-hitting from Cameron White can also turn a contest in the blink of an eye.
One major loss will be left-arm quick Dirk Nannes, who also represented Delhi and was contractually bound to the IPL team. ''I'd signed an agreement with Delhi so I didn't really have a choice," Nannes says. ''It's an awkward situation for sure, but cricket is a funny game. In the last twelve months, I've played for six sides or something like that, so we're all used to playing against each other - we'll have a beer afterwards and we'll go back and play together back home.''
The Bushrangers' pace attack will still be potent, with the likes of Australian ace Peter Siddle and veteran seamer Shane Harwood sure to trouble batsmen. Victorian Bushrangers will also be the envy of most teams when it comes to spinning options. Veteran leggie Bryce McGain, off-spinner Jon Holland, who is working on a doosra, and White, Australia's No.1 spinner on the Test tour of India last year, are specialists, while part-timers Hodge and Hussey will force batsmen to take chances on what are expected to be sluggish decks. "We have many options we can go to in the competition," Shipperd said.
While the players will be the box-office attraction of the Champions League Twenty20 show, it's not only the on-field talent that has been in demand leading into the inaugural tournament.
Greg Shipperd had found himself in the awkward position of having not only coached Victorian Bushrangers into the final of the Australian Twenty20 Big Bash competition, thereby claiming a spot in the CLT20, but also having guided IPL side Delhi into cricket's richest world club tournament.
Both teams understandably wanted Shipperd, but hometown loyalty to the Bushrangers ultimately won this battle. The Daredevils, however, will still have a Victorian flavor, with Bushrangers assistant coach David Saker guiding Virender Sehwag and company through the Champions League T20 tournament.
Adding to the intrigue, the two teams will clash in their opening match â at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
"Cricket Victoria was very shrewd in their early negotiations with the coach," Shipperd said. "I am very comfortable to be here representing Victoria. At Having said that, I think Delhi is very well placed as well with David Saker as their interim coach. We are playing each other in the first round so it's going to be a titantic clash and create a lot of interest around the world. We have got seven internationally accredited players and Delhi has got a maximum of eleven to choose from so it's going to be high competition."
It will also be "high competition" in the Victorian team, with talent aplenty to choose from. Discarded international Brad Hodge remains the batting kingpin, while the poise of a David Hussey and heavy-hitting from Cameron White can also turn a contest in the blink of an eye.
One major loss will be left-arm quick Dirk Nannes, who also represented Delhi and was contractually bound to the IPL team. ''I'd signed an agreement with Delhi so I didn't really have a choice," Nannes says. ''It's an awkward situation for sure, but cricket is a funny game. In the last twelve months, I've played for six sides or something like that, so we're all used to playing against each other - we'll have a beer afterwards and we'll go back and play together back home.''
The Bushrangers' pace attack will still be potent, with the likes of Australian ace Peter Siddle and veteran seamer Shane Harwood sure to trouble batsmen. Victorian Bushrangers will also be the envy of most teams when it comes to spinning options. Veteran leggie Bryce McGain, off-spinner Jon Holland, who is working on a doosra, and White, Australia's No.1 spinner on the Test tour of India last year, are specialists, while part-timers Hodge and Hussey will force batsmen to take chances on what are expected to be sluggish decks. "We have many options we can go to in the competition," Shipperd said.
