No favourite to win IPL, says Moody

Port Elizabeth: It’s foolhardy to name a favourite to win the Indian Premier League as all the teams are all equally strong with a mix of Indian and international stars in them, says Kings XI Punjab coach Tom Moody.

Moody said the tournament would be a closely contested one and there was no way anybody could pick one team above the other.

“All the teams in the competition are very strong. I think it would be foolish of anyone to try and predict who the favourites or second favourites will be,” Moody said.

Tough match

The former Australian all-rounder expects a tough match against Delhi Daredevils in their campaign opener in Cape Town on April 19.

“Delhi Daredevils is always a tough game for us. We’ve got them first up and they boast a good international list but also have some very good Indian stars,” he said.

Moody said the South African public would be in for a treat when the Twenty20 tournament explodes into action on April 18.

“The thing about the IPL — and we saw this in India last year — is that you see some outstanding cricket because you’ve got all the world’s best players on stage in one tournament. So you’re in for a treat,” he was quoted as saying by The Herald.

Irfan Pathan impressed

Meanwhile, all-rounder Irfan Pathan was impressed with the way the inexperienced Indian players were adapting to the local conditions.

“This is my third trip here. So whatever experience I have I’ve already started passing on to a few Indian guys and I’ve seen the difference already,” said the Kings XI Punjab bowler.

“There is a big difference between first and second net practice we had here. The batsmen became more comfortable with the local fast bowlers. I’m pretty happy with their progress.”

Moody said the franchise had been received well since arriving in Port Elizabeth at the start of the week.

“It’s of great excitement for us to have the opportunity to practice at terrific facilities here in Port Elizabeth. The ground at St. George’s is certainly world class, the pitches have been world class and we’ve enjoyed the experience to date.”