IPL in UAE: Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Trevor Bayliss calls for patience

Dubai: Patience is the key and Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Trevor Bayliss has suggested that things will this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) get clearer in the next few days.

Australian Bayliss is considered a master tactician. He has played a huge role in transforming the England team in their approach to the shorter formats between 2015 and 2019 while capping it with the 2019 ICC World Cup triumph with a Super Over against New Zealand.

Heading into his new assignment with the Sunrisers, Bayliss believes that is important to ensure players stay mentally fit as a clearer picture should be available by next week as his players continue to adjust to life in the UAE ‘bio bubble’ ahead of IPL 13.

“This is something new for all of us. We may not get everything exactly right in this bubble and (with) the new way of doing things. It’s about learning on the go and one of the main things is that it is a long tournament, but we are here for a month before hand,” Bayliss told Indian publication Sportstar in a chat.

“It will be a long time, it’s just as much about being in form and physically fit, it will be also important to keep the boys mentally fit. That means not necessarily practicing every day. It will be a case of having a rest period as well, to keep the boys nice and fresh.”

A former first-class cricketer who played for New South Wales between 1985 and 1997 before becoming one of the successful coaches in cricket, the 57-year-old Bayliss has also coached Sri Lanka between 2007 and 2011, a phase that culminated in the team finishing runners-up in the 2011 ICC World Cup.

Bayliss was also in charge of the Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash League, and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. It was under his tutelage that KKR became IPL champions on two occasions – 2012 and 2014.

“I was lucky to have had two wins with KKR,” Bayliss said. “They and Sunrisers are very similar with the fact that both are very family-oriented teams. The experience has been great, I learned a lot as well and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Obviously, this is a new time and I hope I have the same success with SRH.”

Champions in 2016 under Kane Williamson, the Sunrisers have a balanced-looking side on paper. Now led by Australian hard-hitter David Warner, they still have Kiwi Williamson who left New Zealand earlier on Thursday en route to joining his teammates in Dubai.

The bowling department too looks solid with Bhuvneshwar Kumar leading the unlikely Afghani duo of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. “Sunrisers have done well over the last four-five years, so they must have been doing a lot (of things) right and leading into the tournament this year. I don’t think we have to change a real lot, but it will be about using the experience of (VVS) Laxman, (Muttiah) Murali and Brad Haddin, who is the assistant coach,” Bayliss said.

“We need to make the most of the experience that we have got in the team. People like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Warner and Williamson have a lot of experience in international cricket and it’s about using those experiences and passing them on to the younger players in the squad.”