From Jacques Kallis
It’s fair to say we are now all looking at the points table – we have reached that stage of the tournament. There is nothing wrong with looking at the table. As long as you forget all about it the moment you look away.
Nine times out of ten it is a mistake to look too far ahead in sport. Long-term planning is fine, but is generally best left to the right people while the players concentrate on taking the next step or bowling the next ball.
There is no doubt that we’d rather be in second place than where the Warriors find themselves. On the one hand we are able to ‘relax’ a little bit because we know we are well placed to challenge for a play-off place. The trouble with ‘relaxing’, however, is that it can make you vulnerable.
The Pune players and management are probably beginning to feel that every game from now on is a ‘must-win’ game and that makes them very dangerous. Ever since I praised Paddy Upton for making such a good start as Warriors coach/performance manager, they seem to have lost three or four close games in a row!
For millions of fans, of course, today’s game is all about the return of ‘Dada’ to Kolkata. All of the Knight Riders players are aware of how much emotion there will be in the stadium and, as long as that emotion doesn’t spill over into the players or the match, it should be a memorable occasion.
Sourav has shown some signs of his old brilliance and I can only imagine how much he would like to perform at one of the greatest stadiums on earth. The best as far as he is concerned, no doubt!
‘Emotion’ can be a positive driving force in sport, of course, provided players are able to focus and channel the extra energy and adrenalin it produces rather than allow it to distract them. I have seen the effect it can have when you get it right with seven or eight Test hundreds at my beloved Newlands in Cape Town.
We must not allow ourselves to become affected by how he plays – or how any of the Warriors play the game, for that matter. Consistent success in T20 cricket comes to those who are best able to see clearly what is needed in a pressurised situation, and then concentrate on achieving it. Extra adrenalin might make you hit the ball further or bowl it a bit faster, but it’s unlikely to change the course of a match.
As I said last week, I am enjoying my time with the current KKR squad as much as I have enjoyed the company of any team I have been a part of. We all want to win – just like any team – but we want to win for each other and not just ourselves. That’s the difference.