Gilchrist replaces Laxman

New Delhi: Adam Gilchrist, the former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman, has been appointed captain of the Deccan Chargers, replacing VVS Laxman, who led the team during the inaugural season of the IPL. Darren Lehmann, the former Australia batsman, takes charge as coach, replacing former India player Robin Singh.
Gilchrist said it was a "tremendous thrill and honour" and looked forward to working hard and making the team successful. Gilchrist was Deccan's leading run-getter in the league's first edition, scoring 436 runs at 33.53. He led the team in eight of their 14 matches, after Laxman sustained an injury.
"Adam Gilchrist commands respect within the team and right around the cricket world. He has redefined the role of wicketkeeper-batsman in modern cricket," Tim Wright, the Deccan Chargers chief executive, was quoted as saying on Cricinfo website. "I am confident Gilchrist will unite Deccan Chargers' outstanding talent. Four members of our squad were on the India tour of Sri Lanka, more than any other IPL team, and the quality of our overseas players is well known. These players will play for Gilchrist.
"We are delighted to be giving Darren Lehmann his first post as coach and have no doubt he will be a great success," Wright said. "He has already brought considerable energy into the group and has a no-nonsense approach to winning cricket matches. Lehmann is in India this week to run player trials in Hyderabad. We are looking to build a solid talent base for the future."
Deccan finished last in the inaugural edition of the league, winning only two of their 14 matches.

Source: www.mid-day.com

IPL outshone Sydney Olympics: Gilchrist

Retired Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist is still awestruck by the glitz and glamour of the inaugural Indian Premier League and feels it outshone even the Sydney Olympic Games.
"It was quite overwhelming to see an event capture the attention and mindset and imagination of a country quite like it," Gilchrist said.
IPL: Who did well, and who didn't
"The only thing I can think of that was comparable was maybe the Olympics when they were in Sydney. But the Olympics was about two weeks, this was 45 days every night," he was quoted as saying by The Australian.

Memorable moments from the IPL
"It felt like that at 8pm the whole country would tune in no matter what the game was or who was playing. It was front page of the papers pretty much every day," said Gilchrist, who donned the Deccan Chargers' jersey in the tournament.
"As much as the concept and the tournament was successful, that passion for cricket in India grows more and more. The whole concept will be looked back on as a landmark in the history of cricket," added the star stumper-batsman.
His former skipper, Ricky Ponting , though fears the easy moolah in IPL might just lure next generation cricketers away from national duty.
"I've always been a little bit worried that if money keeps growing and growing and growing in that version of the game then all of a sudden young kids who are 14, 15, 16 now and want to make cricket their career may not even consider playing for their countries," Ponting told the newspaper.
"They might be trying to get a crack at the IPL or a competition somewhere like that and hopefully make a name for themselves and totally turn their back on the international game. That's what I'm worried about," he said.

Source: www. rediff.com