Sport - Cricket

Focus on Pakistan, says Robin Singh

Vijay Lokapally

ABU DHABI: To ensure that complacency does not influence the Indian camp, coach Robin Singh has told the team to forget the easy outing against Holland and look forward to the crucial match against Pakistan in the ongoing BSNL EurAsia Cup cricket tournament here on Friday.

``The players are keen to perform,'' said Robin at the end of a practice session at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium here on Wednesday.

Grab the chances

``Some of the players are playing international cricket but that does not guarantee a regular place in the long run. You have to keep performing and improving. It is a very important tournament for everyone. The boys have to make the most of the opportunities,'' said Robin, a stickler for hard work and discipline.

Having earned a reputation for his professionalism and outstanding fielding in his playing days, Robin did not lose time in educating the youngsters on the significance of all-round performance. ``That's how I played and that's what I always advocated, especially in one-day cricket. Fielding has to be top class for a team to get the best results. The period of pressure is shorter in one-day cricket but then you have to adjust and adapt to the conditions and demands of international cricket. A player should be able to understand the requirements of playing in the big league. '' observed Robin.

Robin welcomed the concept of the tournament saying, ``it is actually good for the smaller nations. If they perform in such competitions, they come into prominence quickly.' '

The Indians were geared up for the contest against Pakistan, which has eight players who have represented the National side in the past couple of years.

``Pakistan has a good batting line-up and the boys will need to work hard. We have a young side and very motivated players. Fielding is our strong point even though we have good depth in batting and bowling. We have three players who bat high in the order (S. Badrinath, Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala) and can also bowl. We have players who can bat and bowl at any point of the match.''

Long-term assignment

On his role as a coach, Robin noted, ``I am looking at a long-term perspective. It gives you the platform to interact with the players and understand them better. Players should be made comfortable. You build a relationship over a period of time and I think it always pays.''

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