‘A calm cricketing mind…’: Jonty Rhodes lauds Zaheer Khan’s appointment as Lucknow Super Giants mentor – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Zaheer Khan‘s hiring as the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants was praised by South Africa cricket star Jonty Rhodes, who also serves as the fielding coach for the team.
In stressful times during a game, Rhodes remarked, Zaheer’s cool head will benefit the team.
“A calm cricketing mind is what you need at the IPL level, especially in the dugout scenario. You need people with calm heads because it gets very tense.
“If emotions start to get the better of you it impacts everybody sitting in the dug-out or on the field.In such situations, it is great to have someone like Zak (Zaheer), because he brings the skills and the knowledge, and he also brings the mojo,” Rhodes told PTI videos at the Pro Cricket League launch event on Saturday.
“We have worked together at Mumbai Indians and he is technically very sound indeed.”
There are rumors circulating that Rohit Sharma will take KL Rahul’s spot in the LSG.
“I spent a lot of time with Rohit Sharma at the Mumbai Indians and I am just so grateful that had I had an opportunity to watch him play there. The changes, if there are, will not be my decision and I am not worried about them right now,” Rhodes said.

Under new head coach Gautam Gambhir, Rhodes thinks the Indian team will only get stronger. The former opener can instantly affect any side, according to Rhodes.
“Wherever GG (Gautam Gambhir) goes he makes an impact, we saw this when he left the Lucknow Super Giants and went to the Kolkata Knight Riders the impact that he had,” Rhodes said.
“He is very much a hands-on guy and is certainly somebody who knows what he wants and speaks his own mind.
“Gambhir leaves no stone unturned, and now that he has taken over the reins of the Indian team, they will go from strength to strength,” he added.
Rhodes also likened former Proteas batter Herschelle Gibbs to rookie LSG batsman Ayush Badoni, after the latter smashed the record for most sixes (19) hit by a batter in a single innings of a T20 match in the present Delhi Premier League.
“He is a precocious talent that is for sure, he is short so he has got a low centre of gravity. He gets under the good length deliveries he can hit it anywhere around the ground, he has such fast hands. Justin Langer was so impressed with the sheer talent that he has,” he said.
“He reminds me a bit of Herschelle Gibbs. He has tremendous hitting ability and when he matches that with calmness, presence of mind, good game plan, he will become a really tough guy to bowl to because he can play both conventional and unconventional shots with ease.”