Gill as captain stands up for players: Gerald Coetzee

New Indian Express

27-05-2025

Gujarat have a lethal pace attack in Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna and Coetzee himself. The South African feels the same but says all of them have different skill sets. "Those are all good bowlers. They all have a set skill that they're really good at. Yes, we all go fast, but we all have slightly different strengths. When I play a game, I get told what is expected of me, which might not be the same as what is expected of the other guys."
Coetzee affirms his team has a good chance in the playoffs as they are really a consistent team. Speaking on the strengths of the side, he said, "The strength is the players and the coaching staff. I think we have been consistent. We have a well-balanced side and we play well together as a team. I think everyone chips in. We obviously have had some great contributions. Whenever you have players in contention for purple cap, orange cap, I mean, that is gold and then when you have other guys playing cameos, helping to win games, I think that's a great combination for a winning team."
Gujarat might have lost two straight games since qualifying for the playoffs but Coetzee says it will not matter when they contest for a place in the final.
"I think we have our blueprint. We know what we have done to win games. We know what we did wrong when we didn't win these games and we also have to give credit where other teams played well, we also have to look at where we made some mistakes and you just take that into the next game. We have played against all these teams we are about to play against. We know what they're going to bring. I think our chances are very good of kicking on (6:53) till the final, hopefully winning this tournament.
He was all praise for Karnataka pacer Krishna and said there is a lot similar between him and his Indian teammate. "With Prasidh, yeah, I think we do have similarities. I think whenever you also play consistently, like he also had some struggle with injuries. He's back now, he's playing consistently. Someone of his class, the more he's going to play, the better he's going to get. And yeah, for me to learn from him, he keeps it really simple. There's not any rocket science going on over there and that's to his credit, keeping it simple in a format where we often try to complicate things. I think he's done really well."
Coetzee also congratulated teammate B Sai Sudharsan for getting picked in the India squad for the England tour. "I have spoken to him, congratulated him, he definitely deserved it. I think he is going to be, he already is a world-class batter and I think he's only going to get better."
Touted as one of the best pacers from his country, injuries have pegged Coetzee back ever since he made his senior international debut two years ago. Coetzee says it's frustrating but at the same time believes he has done well in the matches he has played so far. "Yeah, injury is always frustrating. I think I've done pretty well for the games I've got to play, the India series and things, stuff like that. Injuries are part of the game. If you look at most fast bowlers who bowl 145 plus on the circuit today, they all struggle. It happens. So some frustration, but also understanding the process and the journey of a fast bowler. The 2023 World Cup was a great chance to do well and I'm grateful I did. I've got, hopefully, God willing, many more years of cricket left and we just try and get better, try and get stronger, learn the lessons and move on."