M30: KKR vs CSK – Brad Hogg four-for 2:29 6,685 Views Such is the beauty of the Pepsi IPL 2015 that it proves to be a grand stage not just for the youngest but also the oldest in the competition. Just a day ago Royal Challengers Bangalore’s 17-year old Sarfaraz Khan showed the world what he is capable of doing with the bat at an age when most of his peers are still learning the tricks of the trade under the sun. Kolkata Knight Riders’ Brad Hogg is 44 and that is just a number.

His craft still seems fresh; his jubilation after a wicket still young like that of a teenager; but yes, his cricketing brain is that of an old wise man. Notice Hogg going through his overs and you can see he is always on his toes thinking of ways to outdo the batsmen. If his first outing in this year’s Pepsi IPL against the Chennai Super Kings was a reflection of his stinginess to give away runs, in Thursday’s contest against the same opposition at the Eden Gardens he showed his never-dying hunger for wickets.

He marched his way to a four-wicket haul giving away just 29 runs and his victims were Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis, Ravindra Jadeja and Pawan Negi. For the record, he also became the oldest bowler to claim a 4-wicket haul in the competition. Hogg embodies pure passion and enthusiasm for the game and will remain to be one of the evergreen chapters of spin bowling.

In this chat with iplt20.com, he reflects on his performance and speaks about a phase in his cricketing career that he is enjoying every moment of. Revenge taken you reckon after the close loss in Chennai?We had to rectify ourselves.

We should have won that game because we were in a wining position. It just shows that if you don’t have that intent, the game can be taken away from you very quickly. Even if you are in front of the run-rate, you’ve still got to be positive and make sure you cross the finishing line.

We rectified that tonight and hopefully moving forward we can continue this form.In the previous game you were miserly. In this game you took it a notch higher, with 4 wickets to go with it.

(Laughs) I am not really worried about bowling figures or the number of wickets. I would rather get belted around the park and end up winning rather than perform and not end up winning. You have got to understand the situation and bowl accordingly.

You just have to enjoy the success when it is there. When the batsman gets on top of you and has a day out, you’ve got to hold your head up and come back the next day. I have a little bit of success going with me at the moment.

But having said that, things can turn around very quickly if you don’t keep your head on your shoulders.Which one of the four wickets did you enjoy the most?It is hard to say which one I enjoyed the most. I think I enjoyed all four of them.

Each was a different wicket. I had a little bit of fortune to get Brendon McCullum out. That wicket really took the pressure off us because he is a danger man and if he kept going for another five or six overs, he would have blown the game away.

On a game perspective, probably the McCullum wicket was a good one. I am still learning to bowl on such interesting Indian pitches. There was a little bit of turn and bounce and it was a good pitch to spin it.

At this stage of your career, you seem to be making the most of every moment on the cricket field.(Smiles) I am enjoying every moment of it. And it is great to see myself still being able to play cricket.

I am just very fortunate to be at this stage. I wish I hadn’t taken the game so seriously when I was younger. I wish I was a bit more relaxed when I was playing for my country.

It is pretty easy to go out there and puff your chest out and think you have to put on a persona. To be able to sit back, relax and enjoy it and know that those moments could end at any stage is totally a different and good feeling.At 44, you still look young and agile on the field.

How do you manage to keep those energy levels up? It is a humbling experience. It is just great that people enjoy and admire what you are doing. I have always said over the last couple of years that I am just grateful that I am able to play cricket at this level.

There are a lot of people who would love to be in my shoes but they just don’t get there, whether it is luck or they don’t have the performances on the board. I am just very fortunate for where I am at the moment. The only message I have got for the youngsters is ‘make sure you respect the game and enjoy every opportunity when you get out there’.

There is going to be some heated moments out there but don’t take it too seriously. If you have that heated moment, make sure you rectify the situation when you walk off that boundary line and become mates again. We want to play hard in the middle but we want to play fair.

You have been associated with the IPL for quite some time now - be it commentary stints or donning the bowler’s hat. How would you capsulate your association with the tournament? The thing that IPL has brought to me is although there are different cultures they have all got the same passion for the game. We all have the same colour blood and we all have got the same feeling.

Gone are the days when you go to the opposition’s change room. Just being involved with KKR and Rajasthan Royals previously, has been great. I have become close friends with the locals and that is something probably that I missed or lacked in the international level.

.

Source: http://www.iplt20.com/news/2015/features/6417/want-to-be-the-pillar-of-kkrs-batting-uthappa