IPL 2025: Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Eric Simmons praised Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad after his incredible four over spell vs Lucknow. Simmons said that he has been coaching for years, but he has never seen someone as difficult to read as Noor Ahamd.
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00:00I think we've all been privileged. I've been privileged to work with him for many years.
00:03You've been privileged to report on him, to watch him. Any spectator that's watched him
00:07play the game has had a privileged experience. But his influence has been there all the time.
00:13Even when he wasn't captain, his relationship with Rutu was very important. His relationship
00:17with the Flemers was very important. His relationship with all the players is very important.
00:21And it's not that he teaches technical issues about the game, but it's the calmness that you
00:26see out there how to play the game. He teaches an understanding of cricket, which is a very
00:30important aspect of the game. So that influence, that calmness that he gives has always been there.
00:34But tonight we saw once again, you know, the fact that he's captain, not captain, he's the same person.
00:41It didn't change when he wasn't in terms of his actual influence on the team. He's
00:45he's obviously a very important part of our setup.
00:47What's the fact going forward?
00:49It's as I said, you know, the fact that it's a pity Richard's not there to play and be our
00:54captain and our leader. But Emis will always be like that. As I said, it hasn't felt like a massive
00:58change because he's always been there to give advice, give thoughts, give inputs. And as I said,
01:04he's always a calming influence and gives great level of understanding about how cricket should
01:08be played. His wisdom is tremendous.
01:10Yes, sir.
01:12I've had a word on Luke because he's obviously started very well to advise. And you know,
01:16today also you have like two very good overs in the British tradition.
01:19He's probably going to make a difference because I think like 15, 20 years would have been, you know,
01:23a difficult game. So what has interest you about him the most since he's joined season?
01:29That's actually what I said to him as well. I think you bowl, what did you go for 13,
01:33four overs that in a game like this, that sets up a win in many ways. So, you know,
01:37certainly from a bowling coach perspective, you recognize the fact that it's not always wickets
01:41that you take, but it's the wickets that you earn for your team, the role that you play.
01:45What I saw today was him bowling a lot more accurately. He bowled a little slower, which normally shows good
01:51confidence. But I've caught a lot of balls to a lot of spinners in the over the years in my role
01:57as a bowling coach. And he's one I cannot read. He's tough to read. And that's obviously a fantastic
02:02asset to have. His willingness to learn, his willingness to grow is important. But as he becomes
02:07more and more accurate what he does, and as he understands his craft better, he's just going to get
02:12better and better. So he's a wonderful, he's a wonderful asset for us. And he's a wonderful guy.
02:16That's the first time I've actually worked with him. So he's been a tremendous part of our squad.
02:19How satisfying this win for CSK? And what do you want to say about Dhoni the round?
02:26Yeah, only Dhoni can do those things. It's crazy. It's unbelievable. Obviously, we've had a rough run.
02:33You know, our supporters, it's still great to have the crowds come and watch us like this. We arrive at the ground today.
02:38It feels like a home game. It's great to be in yellow. It really is. And to have the support that we have.
02:43So we feel their pain as much as we felt pain. But to have a win like this is a great sense of relief.
02:50And obviously from an outcome perspective. But it really, it's, you know, I don't think we get too high
02:55when we win and too low when we lose. I think that's really the most important thing. So it's good to win.
03:00But I think we did many things drastically wrong. But I think probably most of all, it's great for our
03:05supporters that they got something to cheer about and go home and have some bragging rights for a few days at least.
03:10Thank you, sir. On the signing of Ayushumathri, what did CSK see in the moment that decision come over?
03:18Maybe anyone suggested it?
03:19Oh, he came and did a trial at Chennai. And he was in the nets. And it's just amazing how these young
03:26cricketers play. They play a fearless brand of cricket. You know, if you look at the way CSK plays,
03:32there's a brand that we play and certainly our batting team likes to see play. We believe it and trust it.
03:38And he fitted in from that perspective to be able to play with a sense of freedom, to be able to play
03:43aggressively, but within the way that you play. I mean, you've got a guy like Jinkia Rohani. He's not
03:47a smasher, but his strike rate's incredible. So there are different ways of doing it. So he came and
03:53had really good nets. And the guys that kept their eyes on him were very impressed with what he's got
03:56and what he can offer for the future. So very exciting to have him as part of the side.
04:00I think he was ready about a year ago. Again, he's just, he's a wonderful player. A lot of guys talk
04:20about how he reminds them of a young Rutu, just the way he plays. His shot making, I mean,
04:26he's what he scored 29 today, six boundaries or whatever it was. He just, his ability to hit
04:29the ball cleanly and play his game is exciting. So it's just, we haven't had the opportunity for him
04:35to slot in the way that he did today and decided to roll the dice and he played extremely well. So
04:40I'm very, very happy for him. You know, we have a, we have a cap herring of a ceremony
04:43and the applause that he received was testament to the, to the popularity of the young guys,
04:49his work ethic and the nets, he's, he's, he's, he's smiling. He's been, he hasn't played for,
04:53what is it, a few years and he's just, he's never stopped working, never stopped smiling,
04:57never stopped being a positive guy in the room. So it really was great to hear the applause for him
05:02when he got his first four, when he got his cap. We've known for, well, you know, obviously my division
05:07is, is, is the bowling, but I know the batting guys have spoken very highly for a long time.
05:12So it was great to see him do what they know he can do. Let's hope it's the, it's the,
05:15it's the kickstart to a long and successful career.