Cape Cobras happy with underdog tag
Coach Paul Adams says that the tag will allow the team to play freely
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-09-15 00:58 GMT
Hyderabad: The Cape Cobras come into the Champions League with a reputation of being one of the strongest teams in the South African T20 league. However, with the tournament and continents changing, they are tagged the underdogs. Coach Paul Adams is content though. “We are quite happy with the underdogs tag as it allows us to play the game freely and express ourselves,” Adams said ahead of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament.
“T20s are all about pressure and adjusting to the conditions. The mental approach towards the game is really important for us. And if, we get our balance right on the given day we can win matches,” Adams added.Adams, who played for South Africa as an unorthodox left-arm spinner is relishing his opportunity to be back in India. “It’s very nice to be back in India. I am very excited and lots of things have changed in this country for the good,” Adams said.
On his team’s chances in the Champions League Adams said, “We have a lot of experienced players in our team. At the same time we have some really talented bunch of youngsters who are waiting to go out there and perform. We also have quite a few all-rounders in the mix. We are a successful team back home and am sure we can deliver it big in this competition as well.”
However, Cape Cobras captain Justin Ontong feels the Indian teams have a good chance to win this edition of the Champions League. “All the IPL teams are quite strong and are firm favourites to win the title. But we fancy our chances. We have players like Hashim Amla, J.P. Duminy and Robin Peterson who add the extra edge needed to win this kind of competition,” Ontong said.
On leading a side that has players like Hashim Amla, Alviro Peterson and J.P. Duminy, Ontong said, “Leading a team with them is an honour. There is no extra pressure on me. Hashim is a great influence on the team and has played enough cricket in the sub-continent to help us adjust to Indian conditions.”Asked to comment on losing Jacques Kallis to Kolkata Knight Riders, Ontong said, “Kallis is a big player. But we have guys who can fill the gap left by him. We look forward to playing against him in this tourney.”