CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey has backed the current squad to bounce back despite a fifth consecutive loss in the ongoing IPL season, insisting the five-time champions have the "right players" and are far from giving up on their campaign.
CSK suffered an embarrassing eight-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk on Friday, posting their lowest-ever total at the venue, a dismal 103 for nine.
"I still think we've got the right players. We've just got to try and help them find some confidence and consistency and then hopefully we can sort of grow and build from that, whether that's with the bat, ball or in the field," Hussey said at the post-match press conference.
"There's a lot of talk about the style of our play. But the players we've got, we don't want to ask them to play in a completely different way; that's natural to them. They've got here to the IPL for playing really well in their way. I'm certainly not one to try and get them to play in a different way. They play at their best because that's the way they play," he added.
Hussey also dismissed criticism that CSK have filled their squad with players past their prime or are reluctant to invest in young talent. CSK’s middle-order, featuring Indian players Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda, has underperformed collectively this season.
"I would argue that they're beyond their prime. I don't agree with that. We've had players in the twilight of their career come and play at CSK in the past. I think of Shane Watson. I think of Ajinkya Rahane. They've performed really well for CSK. I still think that the players that we've got still have some good cricket in front of them and can offer us a lot. We can find their best and see some great performances from them."
He said the team management is not planning to experiment with young players unless they are ready.
"With regards to youngsters, we want to pick guys when they're ready to perform. We've got some very good players that are waiting for their chance. No question about that. But sometimes when teams give up and think, 'we can't win the tournament anymore. Well, we'll just try the youngsters now'. That's what, we're still here to try and progress in the tournament as far as we can. We're certainly not putting the white flag up just yet," he asserted.
Hussey maintained that the team is still aiming for a playoff spot.
"You only have to get into scraping to that fourth place. In a long tournament like the IPL, it is about momentum. Certainly the momentum is not with us at the moment whatsoever. If we can change that momentum and get some confidence going and get a few wins on the board, the confidence will grow. You never know, we might be able to scrape into one of those last positions in the table come playoff time."
He admitted that CSK have been below-par in all departments.
"We have certainly been below par in all three facets of the game. (But) we're not out of it altogether. We've got to stick tight, identify the areas we can improve and just get back on that horse as quickly as we possibly can. If we start to fracture, if we start to change things too much, which has certainly not been a CSK trait in the past, then things can go worse before they get better. We need to do a bit of soul searching," Hussey concluded.