Australian coach Tom Moody says the Lucknow Super Giants should have selected the experienced Quinton de Kock for Wednesday’s IPL eliminator playoff against the Mumbai Indians.
Lucknow opted instead for West Indies opening batsman Kyle Mayers as their impact player.
Mayers scored 18 off 13 balls as the Super Giants were bowled out for 101 in 16.3 overs to lose by 81 runs.
REPORT: Lucknow lose IPL playoff after excluding De Kock
De Kock ended up playing just four matches in this year’s IPL, scoring 143 runs at an average of 35.75 and a strike rate of 140.19.
Lucknow said Mayers had been picked ahead of De Kock for the playoff because of his record at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, which baffled Moody.
“That does surprise me because you need experience and Quinton de Kock has got more experience than anyone in that Super Giants team and he’s sitting in the dressing room,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time-Out show after the match.
“Big game, big player. And regardless of what someone has done short term in Chennai, I would rather look at the sample size of 10 years and what De Kock has done in 10 years of international cricket and in the IPL against the opponents he’s playing against [Chennai].
“So I just find that decision baffling and ultimately extremely costly. A calm mind out in the middle would have been extremely welcome.
“Also, Nicholas Pooran was sloppy behind the stumps, he let through a number of byes,” Moody added. “De Kock is a far more accomplished wicketkeeper than Pooran, who has been fielding for the whole tournament.”
