« Back to article

Print this article

'At the end of the day I haven't contributed'

Going through a lean phase, Kings XI Punjab skipper Adam Gilchrist called form a "rubbish word" and said his decision to sit out of the IPL match against Mumbai Indians was taken keeping in mind the team balance. 

Gilchrist had come into Monday night's match having aggregated only 94 runs from eight matches. 

"Since the last few games we've had to think about it as a selection group," Gilchrist said. 

"We had to look at the right balance and find the right players who were playing well and could contribute most to the team," the Australian great was quoted as saying by the league's website IPLT20.com.

'Form is a rubbish word'

Gilchrist believed that one's form is not an accurate indicator. 

"Form is a rubbish word. I have hit a lot of balls in the nets and have felt very comfortable. But that hasn't translated to results in (the) games," said Gilchrist. 

"At the end of the day I haven't contributed, and that's no problem when you've got batting talents like Shaun Marsh, (Luke) Pomersbach, David Hussey and David Miller. It's not a tough decision," he added.

'I'm lucky to have my keeping gloves on'

Asked whether he had considered giving up the wicketkeeping and playing solely as a batsman, Gilchrist responded in negative. 

"No, never, I've played years and years of cricket now. So for me it's not a case of having to focus on batting because keeping is taking up time and energy. It's part of my nature and part of who I am.

"It's like riding a bike, once you know it, you don't need to focus on the skills required and think of the work load impeding on the batting. If anything, I have contributed more with the gloves than with the bat this year and so I am lucky to have my keeping gloves on," he said.

Gilchrist seemed to have taken a cue from Ricky Ponting, who had not only stepped down as MI skipper, but also axed himself from the playing XI after a string of poor scores in the ongoing tournament.