Moody to coach Mohali team

IT'S OFFICIAL. Tom Moody will coach the Mohali chapter of the Indian Premier League. Amid widespread speculation about which Aussie would coach which team in the IPL the first official announcement came from the Punjab Cricket Association stadium. Yuvraj Singh, the icon player from the area, will lead his team.

"We are pleased to choose Mohali as our centre ahead of all the other choices we had, as it's is the best association and with excellent facilities. With Yuvraj being our captain and Moody as coach, I think everything has fallen into place for us," said Ness Wadia, a co-owner of the team along with Priety Zinta.

Wadia said their motive behind buying the team was to promote cricket at the domestic level. Preity, however, conceded that they don't have any experience of handling cricket but said they will seek help from technical people to run the team. "We really don't know much about the game and its technicalities. But we would take professional help to ru1n the franchise in most efficient manner. We would take inputs from captain, coach and other technical members that we would hire," said Zinta.

Wadia said that Cricket is the core content and everything else that is now a part of the T20 match will be woven around it. While it was impossible for any of the franchise officials to divulge any further details of their team's composition, Punjab Cricket Association president I.S. Bindra said, " Minimum of four players from the area have to be taken. As Yuvraj is already in the team there are only three more spots left, which will be filled by either national, international, Ranji or u-22 players."

Bindra also said that a Ranji player would be given a minimum of $50,000 contract while an under-22 player would be offered a minimum of $20,000.

The franchise did not believe that Yuvraj's recent poor form was of slightest concern.

"No human being can give 100% every day. He is a great player and is going through a rough patch. It happens with everyone be it a banker, player or an actor. We are not at all concerned about his form. He is a fighter and just like a true Punjabi he will rediscover his form," Zinta said.