The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Laxman eager to have a go

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Monday, Jul 05, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Laxman eager to have a go

By Our Sports Reporter

CHENNAI, JULY 4. The bookish kind and a keen one for a cricketing discussion, V.V.S. Laxman spoke to Geoff Boycott about `planning of an innings.'

"We had an interactive session during `nets'. I'll hopefully get another with him tomorrow," said the stylish batsman from Hyderabad, while speaking to the press on the second day of the six-day Asia Cup probables camp at the Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

Boycott, a former England opener and now a premier batting analyst in the world, has been invited by the BCCI to spend two days with the probables.

"I also asked him about match situations. You know, when you begin discussing, you talk about a lot many aspects, for, invariably, one leads to another. His expertise will definitely help us."

Laxman said he has prepared well for the coming season. "During the off-season, I followed the fitness schedule prescribed by trainer Gregory King. The conditioning camp in Bangalore was extremely useful, setting the pace for the season. And now the skills camp here. I played a couple of league games at home and am feeling good. I hope to perform well in the Asia Cup. I did well in Sri Lanka last time."

Asked about the quality of opposition in the six-team competition, Laxman said, "You can't underestimate anyone, especially in limited-overs cricket, because whichever team plays better on that particular day wins. Moreover, as we are returning from a break, the first couple of games will be crucial to get back into rhythm."

So, what was the key to his transformation from a batsman suited for Test cricket to one equally fluent in both forms of the game? "Post World Cup (he didn't make the trip) I worked on a lot of aspects, especially rotation of strike. I was lacking in that. Fortunately for me, my strike rate has been really good during the last season."

Asked about Azharuddin's influence in his development as a batsman, Laxman said, "He was my role model as a cricketer. I've discussed so much cricket with him. Even now, when we meet we talk about the game."

Boycott, who arrived on Saturday night, spent time with the batsmen both individually and collectively. He was at the venue both sessions and had a half-an-hour closed-door meeting with the 20 cricketers before the afternoon nets. "He spoke about positive attitude, asked us to approach the new season with an open mind and not think about our achievements of the previous season," one of the cricketers said.

In the morning, the cricketers interacted with and signed autographs for a few students of Vidya Sagar, a school for children with cerebral palsy.

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