Former IPL winning head coach with Sunrisers Hyderabad Tom Moody has ruled out the possibility of leaving Aiden Markram out of the starting XI.
Tom Moody along with former RCB pacer Varun Aaron discussed match number 41 between SRH and RCB Last night at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. The duo appeared on ESPNcricinfo’s Timeout show where they analyzed all the action that transpired yesterday.
Varun Aaron says Aiden Markram could be dropped at the end of the season
The show host asked if SRH could bring Anmolpreet Singh into the playing XI at the expense of Aiden Markram, who is currently struggling to get runs.
In his reply, Varun Aaron stated that he doesn’t really think such a scenario can happen as Hyderabad is currently on the rise. With SRH currently enjoying positive momentum and being serious play-off contenders and title contenders, Aiden Markram will not be dropped. And that not only Markram, but none of the players on the team will be dropped.
Aaron also stated that Markram is one of those batsmen who can act like a glue to his shot in the top and middle range and therefore has less chances of being dropped.
“Look at the evolution of SRH. I think they want to keep their winning combination intact and not move too many pieces around because they want to keep that momentum going into the playoffs, considering they will be serious playoff contenders.”
“That’s why I don’t think Glenn Phillips or anyone else is coming into play at this point when they’re on such a hot streak. Yes, they lost today but they will last a little longer because he can be a glue for them to fire absolutely top order,” said Varun Aaron on ESPNcricinfo’s timeout show.
Another panelist on the show then asked if Glenn Phillips could get a chance in the upcoming games in case SRH need the New Zealander.
Varun Aaron then backtracked a bit and claimed that Phillips could get a chance only if SRH qualify early for the playoffs and give him some playing time at the end. “I mean, if they qualify early, maybe they can do it, but they might not have qualified yet,” Aaron added.
Tom Moody says he doesn’t believe that philosophy
The former SRH head coach claimed that he doesn’t really agree with this philosophy of dropping one player to allow for another at this point in the competition. Tom Moody claimed that if SRH does not replace Aiden Markram with Glenn Phillips, there is a risk of insecurity being created between these two players and that this could also disrupt the team balance.
“I don’t agree with this philosophy. Because you give a player a few games because you might need him. Now what happens to the player you leave out and then you have to make the change again. “So “you mess up the entire balance of the game and create uncertainty for two players,” concluded Tom Moody.