It's great to play in the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 for one team let alone three! While it is unique there has been no problem deciding which team to play for because my IPL contract is clear — if I qualify for the Champions League with more than one team I play for, Royal Challengers Bangalore, unless it releases me. As it turns out Bangalore does want me as part of its squad so there has been no issue.
Never the less I will be taking much interest in watching Victoria and the Central Stags play. Victoria has a great environment.
Nickname
Within a few minutes of joining the team I was handed a new nick name — ‘Smithy'. We were about to leave for Brisbane when Clint McKay said to a few of the lads, “Do you know that Ross Smith guy from New Zealand?. The boys cracked up and said, don't you mean Ross Taylor?” Ross Smith was a famous AFL player from the early '90s. So ‘Smithy' stuck!
My role with Victoria was to bat at No. 3 where I had the licence to go after the bowling. I enjoyed that game plan, knowing that I had the likes of Cameron White and David Hussey behind me. If you ask me, I think that on paper Victoria will definitely go into the Champions League as one of the favourites.
But the Central Stags is different. I have played for it since I was 11 years old. I hope the $200,000 it received from Bangalore can help it on and off the park in some way.
As for the squad, it has a good mix of veterans such as Matthew Sinclair, Mike Mason and youngsters such as Seth Rance and Bevan Small. For some of the guys this will be a career highlight. Playing in front of thousands of people and to come up against the likes of M.S. Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Matthew Hayden will be a real thrill.
Underdog
The Central Stags will go into the tournament as underdog, but that's a tag it will like.
I always enjoy playing for Bangalore alongside greats of the game such as Anil Kumble, Dravid and Kallis; even the Bangalore fans are the best of any team of the IPL. I think we will benefit from the tournament being in South Africa after finishing second there in IPL-II.
We also have a lot of South African connections through players Kallis, Roelof van der Merwe, Dale Steyn and Dillon Du Preez and of course our coach Ray Jennings. The team will be determined to make up for our early exit from last year's Champions League.
