Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has hailed Lucknow Super Giants wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran as the ‘cleanest hitter in the world’ following his cameo in a stunning chase of 211 against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk.
Pooran’s 15-ball 34, along with Marcus Stoinis’ maiden century, helped LSG pull off the highest run chase at the venue. Hayden believes that Pooran’s wide range of shots makes him a formidable batter against both pace and spin.
‘Nicholas Pooran is the cleanest hitter in the world, I think, in this IPL,’ said Hayden, who played with MS Dhoni in the Chennai Super Kings, on Star Sports Cricket Live. ‘Such a talented free hitter of the ball. Got great options against both pace and spin.’
Hayden also discussed how LSG can utilize Pooran and suggested that the left-hander can come up the order with the Stoinis and bat longer, similar to his role for the West Indies in international cricket.
‘Well, I’ve had this discussion with my mate, Justin Langer, around where they utilize him. And there’s two schools of thought. There’s a school of thought that says, we need someone batting in that 5 and 6 position that can bring a game home. And Nicholas Pooran can do exactly that.’
‘But then you look at, you know, someone like Devdutt Padikkal, who hasn’t had the tournament that you’d expect him to have. And you’ve got a world-class player in Nicky P who can come up the order with the Stoinis and in combination at 4 and can bat longer. And that’s what he’s been doing in international cricket as well. You know, so, obviously, they’re still really comfortable in playing his role for LSG down the order,’ Hayden added.
‘But there’s still, I think, room as the tournament gets a little tighter and scoreboard pressure becomes an option. You want an experienced international player there to take it forward for the team,’ he concluded.
