Taibu eyes coaching role in IPL

Tatenda Taibu made history in 2008 when he became the first Zimbabwean player to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for US$125 000, but did not get enough playing chances because of the presence of destructive opener Brendon McCullum in the team.

Twelve years later, Taibu is eyeing a coaching role in the IPL.

He still has very fond memories of his time in India and expressed his desire to coach in the world-famous Twenty20 competition, the IPL and India’s domestic first-class cricket championship, the Ranji Trophy.

Speaking on the sidelines of Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters 2020, Taibu said:

“Recently I had applied for the position of fielding coach for the Sri Lanka national team.

“I was shortlisted in the last three, but narrowly missed it. I would love to be a coach at one of the IPL teams or Ranji Trophy teams. I am confident that I can be a valuable addition.”

He said India is the toughest opposition to beat in world cricket at the moment and also emphasised on how grand the IPL is.

“India is the team to beat now. They are the team to beat in all aspects and are totally dominant,” he said. “IPL is one of the biggest events in the world of cricket now.

“Everything else stops for the IPL. There may be similar T20 leagues in other countries, but nothing comes close in any aspect, be it the number of players, their quality or the way IPL has been marketed.

“You name any aspect of cricket, IPL is head and shoulders above everything else,” said the former wicketkeeper.

He believes that India was always full of talented players. But with the advent of IPL, this talent has been nurtured and grown in a drastic manner.

He further pointed out that IPL has helped in the holistic development of Indian cricket, adding that IPL is the reason behind India’s domination in every aspect of the game. — Cricketaddictor.com