It was Dwayne Smith’s blistering 79-run knock that enabled Chennai Super Kings to chase down a huge 179-run target against Delhi Daredevils, but the modest opening batsman credited Robin Singh for his success, saying that his old mate has helped him become the player he is.
“I did a lot of work with Robin Singh and I respect him a lot. Unfortunate he is not with us in Chennai but he has done a lot of work with me and I thank him a lot for what he has done, especially in the sub-continent,” said Smith in the post-match conference. Former Mumbai Indians player Smith enjoys a good rapport with Trinidad and Tobago-born Robin, who was the fielding coach of Mumbai in the previous editions of the IPL and is still a part of the MI team management.
The two struck a bond when Robin was coaching Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League and Smith fondly remembered the times. “Once again I would credit Robin for working with me, especially helping me get control of my game. To survive in international cricket or any type of cricket you need to score runs. And you can`t score runs just by smashing around. In between you have to work around the singles and twos to keep the scoreboard ticking,” said Smith.
Smith’s 51-ball 79, laced with four boundaries and eight sixes helped the MS Dhoni-led side to maintain their supremacy at the top of the IPL table. “I can say that IPL has given me a chance to showcase my opening skills but I actually use to open for my local team in Barbados and that is where I got a chance to play the new ball. It was my decision to take that chance and since that time I have been doing very well,” he said.
