Not in a mood to blame the surface for his spinners inability to make a mark in the ongoing Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir has said a quality tweaker doesn't need any assistance to perform.
Gambhir insisted that KKR has quality in its spin attack.
"I have always believed that a quality spinner does not need a surface. A quality spinner will do well irrespective of what the surface is. If you have quality in your ranks, surfaces are out of question," Gambhir said.
"We have that quality in our line-up and our spinners have actually bowled only four overs in most of the games," he told a news conference on the eve of their match against Rising Pune Supergiants.
KKR's most successful spinner, Sunil Narine has taken six wickets from six matches after missing four matches this season. The West Indian has not been able to produce the same impact that had given him 74 wickets from four seasons.
"Because you play three spinners all the time, sometimes spinners do get under-bowled at times. We have been a very spin dominating attack and we have got quality. That is why we control or dominate the opposition with that quality," Gambhir said.
Rising Pune Supergiants are out of the top four race after losing to to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous match but Gambhir feels the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side would play for pride in the remainder of the tournament.
"This is a format where you expect people to come and play freely. Whether they have got anything to lose or not doesn't make a difference. We need to go out there and play good cricket and that is all that matters.
"We need to do well in all the three departments. When you turn out for any game as a professional cricketer you don't think on those lines that you have got nothing to lose. The biggest thing that you have to lose is your pride," the KKR skipper said.
"People play for pride and their jersey and they would be up for it. Rising Pune Supergiants are a quality side but they have not played that well in the tournament, but these things can happen. No one wants to turn out on the field and get back to a losing dressing room. It is going to be even stevens and hopefully we can play our best cricket tomorrow."
KKR will be seeking a revival after their loss to Gujarat Lions in their previous match where they failed to defend 158 for four and lost by five wickets.
