Sangakkara wants foreign recruits to take more responsibility

Chennai: Deccan Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakkara today called on the foreign recruits of his side to take more responsibility in handling the pressure so that young domestic Indian players could play freely and earn self-belief.

Deccan are languishing at the bottom of the points table but have improved of late. "Overseas players also need to understand their responsibilities and absorb the majority of the pressure. That is why most of the imports are international players and capped huge number of matches," Sangakkara said as his side prepares to take on Chennai Super Kings here tomorrow. "Overseas players have to share the responsibilities and the younger Indian players should be allowed to play freely and enjoy their game and find their places in the side and get that self belief in them," he said. The Sri Lankan batsman said the team was missing gangly Indian paceman Ishant Sharma, who is injured. "Obviously we are missing Ishant Sharma, who will be a fantastic partner for Styen or Rusty or whoever we field in the match," he said. The skipper felt that his team could have been in a better position, had they not faltered on crucial junctures. "On paper we may be not one of the teams on the stronger sides. We should have won our games against Mumbai Indians, Daredevils and may be Rajasthan Royals and may be seven games we should have won," he said. Sangakkara said although they have started clicking as a team, it would still be a tough job tomorrow against CSK. "They have great combination in both batting and bowling. I got to be really realistic about it and according to that, if we do play well as we know we can and do our bowling according to the strategies and also move accordingly, we can win against any team in the tournament. "Things change very quickly and if the opposition makes mistakes, we need to cash in on that to win the match. It might take one good over and you can turn the tide and back in the game. If you realize the balance of the game as to where the match hangs, the side that holds its nerves and does the right thing, wins the tie," he said. Sangakkara was not sure if South African batsman J P Duminy will take field tomorrow as he got injured in the last game. "May be, he will play tomorrow or he may not. We will have to wait and see as it is a touch and go," he said. PTI