Ganguly back as Knight Riders captain

Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday returned as the Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper for next year's Indian Premier League, replacing New Zealand's Brendon McCullum.

The controversy-ridden IPL outfit, which finished at the bottom of the table this year, also named Dav Whatmore as its new coach with Delhi Ranji coach Vijay Dahiya as his deputy.

Pakistani pace legend Wasim Akram was appointed the mentor of the side.

"Andrew Leipus and Adrian le Roux have been appointed physiotherapist and team trainer respectively," the team management said in a statement.

"The KKR management held several meetings over the past few weeks to discuss and plan the way forward for the franchise and the team. After weeks of careful deliberation, keeping in mind the vision and ideals of the team, the KKR management has appointed Dav Whatmore as the new team coach," the management said, adding Ganguly played an instrumental role in the entire process.

"KKR is looking forward to an exciting and successful season ahead with the new appointments and strategies in place. I am excited at the prospect of working with Dav and the entire team closely in addition to playing at our home ground once again," Ganguly said.

Insisting that Ganguly's position as captain is not merely ceremonial, the outfit said the former India skipper would be the "key driving force" who would "shape the cricket team" and "would be responsible for all cricket related decisions with regards to the 2010 season."

After leading the team in the inaugural IPL, Ganguly fell out with the then coach John Buchanan, who first mooted the "multi-captaincy" idea, which did not find favour with the management.

McCullum led the side in the second IPL but came a cropper.

Hailing Whatmore's appointment, KKR co-owner Jay Mehta said, "Dav has the right vision not only for the team, but for each of the players, and for the franchise as a whole. He is very aware of our current position in IPL and knows that there is only one way to go now: up."

Whatmore, on his part, said he was looking forward to working with Ganguly.

"I am optimistic about the season ahead and have the utmost faith in Sourav, the team, and KKR management and look forward to a successful tournament. I will be working closely with the team to continue building KKR into a successful franchise both on and off field," he said.

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Whatmore to be Kolkata coach

Kolkata Knight Riders have lined up Dav Whatmore as coach, putting an end to months of speculation and uncertainty after the exit of John Buchanan. Whatmore, who guided Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title, has been given the job more than three months after the team sacked Buchanan following two disastrous IPL seasons in which they finished sixth and eighth.

Whatmore is head of the BCCI's National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, but KKR sources told Cricinfo that the Indian board, which also runs the hugely successful Twenty20 league, has allowed him an early release to take up the new assignment as soon as possible. Whatmore was not available for a reaction - he is away in Australia on vacation -- and Joy Bhattacharya, the Kolkata team's director, declined to comment.

Kolkata zeroed in on Whatmore after meeting a number of candidates, including John Wright, Richard Pybus, Dermot Reeve, Duncan Fletcher, Lalchand Rajput, WV Raman and Ashok Malhotra. The Knight Riders have also lined up Wasim Akram as a consultant to guide their bowling attack, Vijay Dahiya as assistant coach, and are expected to recall Sourav Ganguly as captain though a formal declaration can be expected only after they officially announce the coach's appointment.

The Kolkata management had informally sounded out Whatmore in June and followed it up with an interview in August at the Mumbai residence of Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood star, who co-owns the Kolkata franchise along with Jay Mehta, a businessman.

Whatmore, 55, played seven Tests for Australia and brings to the IPL an impressive record. Apart from the 1996 World Cup title, he guided Bangladesh to two historic wins in the 2007 World Cup against India and South Africa, and also coached Lancashire to title wins in the NatWest and Sunday League in 1998. Last year, he was coach of the India under-19 team that won the junior World Cup in Malaysia.

In 2007, he was on the verge of being appointed India coach before the BCCI think tank changed its mind at the last minute and opted for Gary Kirsten; the Indian board subsequently got Whatmore on board as director of cricket at the NCA.

But more than the records, what might work for Whatmore in Kolkata is his low-profile, hands-on approach and man-management skills, especially the ability to motivate players from the subcontinent and help them raise their performance, as his record with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh showed. His experience with the Indian board's academy may also come in handy as Kolkata have long-term plans of starting a full-fledged facility of their own.

Buchanan's tenure with Kolkata was marred by controversy after the former Australian coach unveiled his multi-captaincy theory that generated a lot of debate worldwide and then replaced Ganguly, the local icon, as captain with Brendon McCullum. McCullum will not be available for most of the next IPL - from March 12 to April 25 - and will play instead for New Zealand against Australia in the home series in March.

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“I want Ganguly as KKR captain”

The South African batsman Morne van Wyk speaks exclusively to espnstar.com about the Airtel CL T20 and his KKR stint.

Morne van Wyk, who plays for the Diamond Eagles in South Africa, is also a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders team in the Indian Premier League. Determined to have a great campaign in the ongoing Airtel Champions League, he also wants to strengthen his case for the next season of the IPL.

Q. How has been the experience of playing in the Airtel Champions League so far?

A. This is a big tournament for us. We would have to beat the best of the teams, which is very challenging but we are getting used to the conditions well. We have had a good preparation coming into the tournament. A lot of players came to India beforehand to adapt to the conditions.

Q. As compared to the other teams, your team is not studded with stars. Do you think other teams have an edge over you?

A. I think the teams may just underestimate us and that can work to our advantage. A lot of younger guys in the team are very determined to make it big and that I think is a plus point for our side.

Q. Out of the two roles of being a batsman and sometimes a wicketkeeper, which one do you enjoy the more?

A. I think I enjoy doing both. But batting obviously comes first for me. I am concentrating more on my batting than on keeping. However, keeping is extremely interesting as you can see the bowler bowling as well as the batsman playing a shot. It is the best view from behind the stumps.

Q. Do you think it has become increasingly important to have all-round skills in contemporary cricket?

A. Yes, absolutely. If you are an all-rounder, it opens the doors for you. It is always an advantage. You can carve out a career as a batsman or a bowler or a wicketkeeper. If you are good in more than one department, you always have more opportunities.

Q. How has been the experience for you while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL?

A. Though we did not do too well as a team, it was one of the best cricketing experiences. I was not involved in the first season but in the second season I was very much a part of the team. We couldn't perform well at all but we do have a very talented and well-balanced squad.
We got off to a slow start in the second season and by the time we got into the rhythm; it was a little too late. But I would still say that we did well. And now the steps are being taken in the right direction. The people associated with the team are very eager to get things back on track. Hopefully, they would make Sourav Ganguly the captain again and with a new coach, things are surely going to improve.

Q. Would you really like to see Sourav Ganguly back as captain?

A. Yes. I am very much looking forward to have him as captain. He is always willing to share his invaluable experiences with the younger players. He has been really very helpful and a player of his experience is always good for leading the team. We have a lot of scope for improvement. There are a few things that need to be sorted out and I am sure if Ganguly is back as captain we would be able to move from strength to strength.

Q. Do you have IPL at the back of your mind While competing in the CL T20?

A. Yes, IPL is there at the back of my mind and I am sure that in the next season, the Knight Riders will be able to reach the finals of the tournament.

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