LUCKNOW: A day after Lucknow Super Giants’ Super Over gamble backfired against Kolkata Knight Riders, head coach Justin Langer defended the decision to send an out-of-form Nicholas Pooran to face Sunil Narine, saying the team had chosen to back “its best players” in the tightest phase of the match.Sunday night’s IPL game at the Ekana Stadium finished with both sides on 155, before Narine turned the Super Over decisively KKR’s way. Pooran was bowled first ball, LSG were restricted to 1/2 and KKR needed just one delivery to complete the win.“We knew Narine would bowl, and if you look at Nicholas Pooran’s record, he’s faced Narine more than almost anyone in world cricket. We felt he was still our best option,” Langer said. “I know he hasn’t hit form yet, but if anyone can produce a big moment, it’s Nicky. You back your best players. He has struggled, but the numbers say no one plays Narine better than him. Unfortunately, it didn’t come off.”It is curious that Langer felt that way. After all, Narine had bowled a maiden over to the lefthander in the Super Over in 2014 in a CPL match between T&T Red Steel and Guyana Amazon Warriors and even dismissed him. Surely, the LSG support staff should have been aware of that.Pooran’s failure extended a lean run that has hurt LSG in a season now slipping away from them. The defeat was LSG’s fourth straight loss at home and dropped them to 10th in the standings, leaving them virtually out of playoff contention.Langer, though, was not willing to isolate Pooran. He said the West Indian, among the most destructive T20 batters in the world over the past few years, was going through a phase that even elite players are not immune to.“It just shows he’s human,” Langer said. “You can’t force confidence. You can try to look confident but it comes from getting your processes right and working every day. He’s putting in the effort to get it back. Sometimes, it’s just a tough game.”LSG captain Rishabh Pant had also backed the call after the match, saying Pooran’s name came up during a group discussion because the team wanted to trust a proven match-winner in a high-pressure situation.
