IPL 7: I owe a lot to Robin Singh, says Dwayne Smith
Smith stated Robin Singh has helped him become the player he is
New Delhi: It was Dwayne Smith's blistering79-run knock that enabled Chennai Super Kings to chase down a huge 179-run target against Delhi Daredevils, but the modest opening batsman credited Robin Singh for his success, saying that his old mate has helped him become the player he is.
"I did a lot of work with Robin Singh and I respect him a lot. Unfortunate he is not with us in Chennai but he has done a lot of work with me and I thank him a lot for what he has done, especially in the sub-continent," said Smith in the post-match conference.
Former Mumbai Indians player Smith enjoys a good rapport with Trinidad and Tobago-born Robin, who was the fielding coach of Mumbai in the previous editions of the IPL and is still a part of the MI team management. The two struck a bond when Robin was coaching Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League and Smith fondly remembered the times.
"Once again I would credit Robin for working with me, especially helping me get control of my game. To survive in international cricket or any type of cricket you need to score runs. And you can't score runs just by smashing around. In between you have to work around the singles and twos to keep the scoreboard ticking," said Smith.
Smith's 51-ball 79, laced with four boundaries and eight sixes helped the MS Dhoni-led side to maintain their supremacy at the top of the IPL table. "I can say that IPL has given me a chance to showcase my opening skills but I actually use to open for my local team in Barbados and that is where I got a chance to play the new ball. It was my decision to take that chance and since that time I have been doing very well," he said.
CSK's road to victory although was not all that smooth as they repeatedly had to maintain the Duckworth/Lewis par score after a little drizzle threatened to interrupt play. But Smith said he was confident of a victory after his 82-run opening stand with Brendon McCullum (32).
"I don't think the chase was tough in the sense that we had to maintain the D/L par score as well. It was important for me to stay in the middle and not lose wickets, we knew the runs would follow. That's what happened and the par score was automatically taken care off," said Smith.
The West Indian batsman has already accumulated 335 runs in seven IPL games this season with four half-centuries to his credit. But the Barbados-born player just wants to focus ahead. "You have to keep it simple. Just be settled in your mind and clear of what you want to do," concluded Smith with a smile.