Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, two of the best cricketers that South Africa has ever produced, are excited about playing in the Indian Premier League, which starts on April 18. Kallis and Boucher, who are both part of the Bangalore Royal Challengers franchise, said they have had a chat with coach Venkatesh Prasad and skipper Rahul Dravid about their plans for the IPL.
Boucher, arguably the best wicket keeper-batsman in the game currently, told Cricinfo that the discussions have picked up intensity after the end of the three-Test match series between India and South Africa that ended in a 1-1 draw. "We spoke to Venkatesh Prasad (the coach of Royal Challengers) the other day and spoke to Rahul (Dravid) on Monday night," Boucher said. "It is difficult to discuss things when we guys are competing with each other in a Test series. So we kept it formal on the field but now the chats are going on and it is exciting," he added.
Kallis and Boucher also refuted the suggestion that their age and reputation as Test players would affect their performance in the IPL. While Kallis is of the opinion that they have adjusted to different formats of the game throughout their careers and it is a question only of changing one's mindset, Boucher said the Royal Challengers team has a few tricks up their sleeves. The team has a host of good Test players in the team, but there have been concerns raised over their combined ability to play in the shortest format of the game.
Kallis, who was recently named Cricketer of the Year 2007 by Wisden, also said it is easier to go from Test cricket to one-day cricket. "It is probably easier to go from Test cricket to one-day cricket than it is the other way around. We are looking forward to some exciting cricket," Kallis said.
On his part, Boucher said that it's actually an advantage for Bangalore Royal Challengers to have a team made up of good Test players, adding that if a player can play Test cricket, he can play any form of the game. Boucher also said he would himself opt for a mix of players who can play through the innings as opposed to a team that is made up of players who only play slam-bang cricket. "I would rather have a couple of guys who can see off the new ball and post a competitive total than have guys who can smack the ball out of the park and also get out," Boucher said.
The Royal Challengers had bought Kallis for US$ 900,000 and Boucher for US$450,000 during the players' auction in February. Both played the three-Test series in India that ended on Sunday and were cleared to play for the IPL after they were dropped from their domestic teams for the Standard Bank Pro20 tournament in South Africa.
To a query whether the ICC should create a window for IPL in the international calendar, Boucher said Twenty20 cricket creates finance for the ICC, but it is ultimately left up to the fans to decide.
Boucher, arguably the best wicket keeper-batsman in the game currently, told Cricinfo that the discussions have picked up intensity after the end of the three-Test match series between India and South Africa that ended in a 1-1 draw. "We spoke to Venkatesh Prasad (the coach of Royal Challengers) the other day and spoke to Rahul (Dravid) on Monday night," Boucher said. "It is difficult to discuss things when we guys are competing with each other in a Test series. So we kept it formal on the field but now the chats are going on and it is exciting," he added.
Kallis and Boucher also refuted the suggestion that their age and reputation as Test players would affect their performance in the IPL. While Kallis is of the opinion that they have adjusted to different formats of the game throughout their careers and it is a question only of changing one's mindset, Boucher said the Royal Challengers team has a few tricks up their sleeves. The team has a host of good Test players in the team, but there have been concerns raised over their combined ability to play in the shortest format of the game.
Kallis, who was recently named Cricketer of the Year 2007 by Wisden, also said it is easier to go from Test cricket to one-day cricket. "It is probably easier to go from Test cricket to one-day cricket than it is the other way around. We are looking forward to some exciting cricket," Kallis said.
On his part, Boucher said that it's actually an advantage for Bangalore Royal Challengers to have a team made up of good Test players, adding that if a player can play Test cricket, he can play any form of the game. Boucher also said he would himself opt for a mix of players who can play through the innings as opposed to a team that is made up of players who only play slam-bang cricket. "I would rather have a couple of guys who can see off the new ball and post a competitive total than have guys who can smack the ball out of the park and also get out," Boucher said.
The Royal Challengers had bought Kallis for US$ 900,000 and Boucher for US$450,000 during the players' auction in February. Both played the three-Test series in India that ended on Sunday and were cleared to play for the IPL after they were dropped from their domestic teams for the Standard Bank Pro20 tournament in South Africa.
To a query whether the ICC should create a window for IPL in the international calendar, Boucher said Twenty20 cricket creates finance for the ICC, but it is ultimately left up to the fans to decide.
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