Zaahier Adams
NOT even a 5am wake-up call after one of the most demoralising defeats is going to get the Cape Cobras down, says coach Paul Adams.
The Cobras travelled to Mohali yesterday morning from Hyderabad after the Hobart Hurricanes had blown them away at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday night. It was a game Adams’s side had bossed until Vernon Philander’s no-ball in the 18th over, which opened the door for the Australian side.
But even with a mounting injury/sick list, an arduous travelling schedule and a campaign that is seemingly slipping away, Adams will not let India get the better of him or his team.
“An early morning flight after a game like ours is no fun, but it is not something worth complaining about. You get up, dust yourself off, and get on with the job. A lot of the guys slept in this afternoon, but the spirit within the camp is still very high,” Adams said.
“We know we let one slip on Sunday. That was our game but for a couple of crucial mistakes.
“Overall it was a much better performance than Friday evenings and we showed the type of cricket that we are capable of playing. But we also know we need to improve on the little things and take it up even further because we have a very big weekend of cricket ahead of us. We are by no means out of the competition.”
It certainly is fighting talk from Adams, although he may have to go into his next battle against the Barbados Tridents without one of his premier soldiers. Proteas Test off-spinner Dane Piedt left the field with a shoulder injury against the Hurricanes and is a doubtful starter for Fridays clash with the Caribbean Premier League champions.
“Dane went for a scan today (Monday) but we don’t have the results as yet. He says it’s fine and hurt only when he woke up this morning, but we can only assess the extent of the injury when we get the results. It actually popped out after he had bowled another ball after hurting his shoulder initially,” Adams said.