Laxman and Robin axed

Home > Sports > Article

Not unexpectedly, the captain of Deccan Chargers, VVS Laxman and the team's coach, Robin Singh, have been sacked. But will the move pay off? Time alone can tell. Wait until the new edition of IPL gets underway. We wish the team all success.

CJ: Upendra Singh

Tue, Sep 30, 2008 22:01:27 IST

Views:
1134
Comments:
1

Rate:

4.0 / 1 votes

Cricket Sports News :

DECCAN CHARGERS, Hyderabad, has become the first team in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL) to have sacked a player from its ranks. The first sign of its corporate-style of functioning saw the stylish Hyderabadi batsman VVS Laxman being sacked for the team’s dismal performance in the first edition of IPL. Yes, Team Deccan Chargers, on September 29 (Monday) sacked Laxman from captaincy.

Apart from VVS Laxman, the axe fell on the coach Robin Singh. It is believed that the move is directly related to the lacklustre performance of the Deccan Chargers in the inaugural tournament of IPL. The swashbuckling Aussie wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist will step into Laxman’s shoes while former Australian cricketer Darren Lehmann will fill Robin Singh’s shoes.

Speculation of a massive reshuffle has been in the air for sometime. Laxman and Singh were in the firing line as Deccan Chargers were right at the bottom of the table in the first-concluded tourney. Before the start of the tournament, Deccan Chargers was considered the favourite, but managed only two victories in 14 outings. It was poor cricket by a team with the likes of Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs, Scott Styris, Adam Gilchrist, Chaminda Vaas and Rohit Sharma in its ranks.

Laxman, as captain and batsman, could hardly make an impact on the performance of the team and hence this outcome was in order. However, in the latter part of the tournament, he had to sit out and Gilchrist captained the side in his absence. The two matches which Deccan Chargers won could be attributed to the batting brilliance of Gilchrist.

Laxman’s appointment as captain of the Hyderabad team in the slam-bang format of the game had been questioned. Even his colleague Shahid Afridi from Pakistan questioned Laxman’s ability to lead the side. He said Laxman was not at all an inspiring captain and the remark created a storm. As expected, Laxman and Robin Singh have become the proverbial scapegoats.

On the other hand, Gilchrist was elated on being appointed captain. He expressed his feelings by saying that it was an honour to lead the side and that he would leave no stone unturned to make his team an unbeatable one. Chief executive of Deccan Chargers, Tim Wright, said, “Gilchrist commands respect within the team and right around the cricket world. He has redefined the role of wicketkeeper-batsman in modern cricket.”

Wright was even delighted to have Lehmann as the coach for Deccan Chargers. He said, “We are delighted to be giving Darren Lehmann his first post as coach and have no doubt he will be a great success.” Wright and Deccan Chargers are quite optimistic about the team’s prospects and feel that the duo would do a world of good for the team. Whether the change of captain and coach will prove beneficial for the team is something that can be ascertained only when the new edition of IPL gets underway!

E-mail |

Print | Post comment