Chennai, April 13: When the eight IPL franchises set out with their chequebooks to purchase foreign players, the one area that might have escaped their attention is the man-days the stars would bring to the table. The biggest challenge in front of all teams four days before the tournament unfolds is in forging the right combination.
Three of the seven foreign players contracted by the Chennai Super Kings — Jacob Oram, Stephen Fleming and Michael Hussey — were united in stressing the need for "perfect balance" for teams to be successful in this format.

"None of the teams can hope to have all their contracted players available for selection all the time. Players will be lost to national commitments. We will have to work around with what we have and need to have the replacements in place and also maintain the balance at the same time," said Fleming who added an astute leader like Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be able find a solution soon.

The Chennai weather has not been particularly hospitable as the players went through their paces at the MAC Stadium. Coming from late summer or early autumn in New Zealand, Fleming and Oram may find the heat somewhat uncomfortable. "Fortunately I know what to expect in India. Twenty20 games are not that tough on the body. Most games are going to be played at night, so I don’t see the conditions affecting our performance," said Oram who is expected to play a crucial with both bat and ball.

Fleming is largely seen as the elder statesman of the side. He was reportedly roped in for his shrewd thinking on the game as much as his batting. The experienced left-hander explained certain team dynamics will have to be in place to win in this format. "It is not all slam bang. A team cannot expect to win if they are 40/4 in three overs in every game. There is place and scope to construct victories."

The Chennai Super Kings are without their coach for the last four days as Kepler Wessels had to be in Kanpur to honour his earlier contract with a broadcaster. Some important decisions, especially ones pertaining to team combinations, will be taken after Dhoni and Wessels get together.

The advent of the IPL has seen a spate of retirements in New Zealand and Fleming is not entirely surprised. "The money offered by private leagues is great but it is entirely up to the player to get his priorities right."

Oram and Hussey maintained commitment to the their national sides will remain their highest priority. "I may not be able to play the full season here. But in the next two years New Zealand do not have any tours in this period. So I am sure I will play all the games," says Oram clearly underlining that the Black Caps will be his first love. Oram is also realistic about the role of the bowler in T20. "Anything under eight per over should be good given the conditions we will be operating in."

With the amount of cricket played today and the T20 leagues further cramping the calendar it is not going to be easy for youngsters to keep their motivation high. Hussey notes it would be sad if players begin to lose motivation and not try hard enough for a national cap because of the money.

The auction was seen as a path breaker in world cricket. "It changed the face of cricket forever," noted Fleming while Hussey was surprised by the amounts some of his teammates went for. "It is still difficult to get a drink off Symonds," said Hussey adding that Indian fans will derive lot of pleasure watching Symonds.