Tom Moody puts South Africa among favourites for T20-WC title:Says toss should be abolished to rule out the home-away advantage

The fourth season of ILT20 is being played in the UAE. Today, Desert Vipers and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders are set to clash with each other. Earlier, Desert Vipers coach Tom Moody said that the league has played a big role in nurturing local players over the past three years. He further added, if there is too much controversy regarding the pitch, the toss should be abolished. The captain of the visiting team should decide whether to bat first or bowl. In a conversation with Bhaskar, Moody also gave his opinion on UAE pitches, the state of Test cricket, and the contender teams for the T20 World Cup. He said that the level of ILT20 is continuously increasing, and it is giving an opportunity for local talents to grow along with international players. Read the full interview… Question: Why is the ILT20 league special for you? Tom Moody: For me, the most special thing about this league is that the players here are continuously improving. In the last three seasons, local players have progressed very rapidly. It’s similar in other leagues around the world, like the IPL. When domestic players play alongside international players, they become stronger. Question: This is the world’s only league where nine foreign players play in a single match. Does this give players from around the world a chance to showcase their skills? Tom Moody: The rules have changed this year. Now, every team’s playing-11 must include two UAE players and one associate player. All others are foreign players, and the impact player can also be foreign. This is gradually giving more opportunities to local and associate players, and that is the biggest objective of this tournament. Question: Name three players from your team that fans around the world should keep an eye on? Tom Moody: I don’t like to single out one or two players, as it would be unfair to the rest of the squad. The entire squad is strong. But if I had to name one, I would say Khuzaima Tanvir (UAE player). He played well last season too, and can take UAE cricket forward in the future. Question: On UAE pitches, even a score of 150 is quite sufficient. Do such pitches make T20 even more exciting? Tom Moody: Yes, I like different types of pitches. It keeps the game exciting and tests the strategy of players and captains. If every pitch becomes a 220-run pitch, the game starts to feel a bit monotonous. A competitive game with 150-160 runs is just as enjoyable. Spin, swing, and different challenges make the game even more interesting. Question: Nowadays, Test matches finish in two or three days. A pitch that finishes in two days is called bad, and another is called good. What is your opinion on this? Tom Moody: If you are talking about the first pitch of the Perth Test in Australia, I was there and watched the entire match. I did not find that pitch bad at all. I felt that the real problem was not the pitch, but the lack of confidence and discipline among the batsmen of both teams. In my opinion, there is a simple solution to this. If there is too much controversy regarding the pitch, the toss should be abolished. The captain of the visiting team should decide whether to bat or bowl first. This will end the debate about which team is benefiting from the conditions (home-away advantage), because the decision will be made by the visiting team. Question: The T20 World Cup is a few months away. In your opinion, which four teams will reach the semi-finals? Tom Moody: I’m not very good at making predictions, but usually India, England, Australia, and New Zealand are always strong contenders. This time, I think South Africa is also playing very good cricket and will be in the semi-finals.