We will try to contain Jamie: AK Bansal
New Delhi, 13 January 2013: Delhi Waveriders coach AK Bansal will focus his strategy around containing key players in the rival team like Jamie Dwer, as the first match of the inaugural HIL kick starts tomorrow in Delhi.
“We will try to restrict Jamie at all sides of the ground as he is the key play maker and very quick on the field,” Bansal said.
On the other side, Jaypee Punjab Warriors captain’s key tactic for tomorrow’s match is on the same lines adopted by Bansal — to stop Sardar Singh.
“We will stop Sardar. Delhi Waveriders have strong midfielders and Sardar Singh is the best among them,so we have to be careful and tactful to contain him” Jamie said mater of factly.
Both the teams treat treat the opening game very seriously, as it will set the trend of the team’s fortune.
Medio Sardar Singh is a big asset for the Delhi team, and the team management pin high hopes from its skipper for delivering the goods in the high-profile HIL.
The presence of top class foreign players like Nicolas Jacobi, Pirmin Blaak, Lloyd Norris-Jones makes the team even stronger.
Confident Bansal said goalkeeping is one of the strengths of Delhi Waveriders.
“Goalkeeping is our strength. In German Nicolas Jacobi and Dutch Pirmin Blaak we have two of the best goalkeepers in the world,” he said.
Jaypee Punjab Warriors expectedly would depend on the skills of its captain Australian Jamie Dwyer. He has with him Jaap Stockmann, Mark Knowles, Simon Orchard and Kieran Govers who can on their day tilt the game in their favour single handedly.
Then they have the experienced Indian players in Ignace Tirkey and Bharat Chetri to fall back. The goal-scoring abilities of the likes of SV Sunil, Shivendra Singh and Sukhdev Singh only make Jaypee Punjab Warriors an even more a dangerous side. Then they have a good bench strength in Gaganpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh and Gurmail Singh.
Barry Dancer, the team’s coach, is upbeat, “We have enjoyed one good week of preparation and were very warmly welcomed and supported in Jalandhar, our home base. The team is very strong and well balanced with a good mix of international and Indian players. We are confident to put a tough fight tomorrow.”
With both coaches aim to contain key players of other side, we hope the match doesn’t meander to mediocrity, meaning defensive one. What the players would expect is fast, free flow hockey with as many goals as possible.