Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell said there is definitely pressure on him to deliver the goods in what will be his maiden stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but the West Indian is also feeling confident of living upto the franchise's expectations in UAE.
Impressed by the left-arm quick's performances at the death for West Indies through his variations and yorkers, Kings XI bought Cottrell at the auction in December last year for a sum of INR 8.50 crores after an intense bidding war.
The 31-year-old will be hoped to be a bank for skipper KL Rahul at all stages of the innings.
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"I won't be honest if I will say there won't be pressure on me, but I believe I work well under pressure. I am the type of person that'll put in 110 per cent on the field," Cottrell told the Times of India from Dubai.
"It is one of the biggest T20 tournaments in the world, and it is every professional cricketer's dream to play in it. The high quality of talent overall and the intense competition for spots is second to none. This will be my first IPL, and I am excited to hit the ground running for Kings XI Punjab."
Cottrell wouldn't have felt the need to add anything extra to his repertoire, especially when the surfaces in UAE will make his slower balls all that more effective.
"I am an attacking bowler," he said. "My role as a fast bowler is to take wickets up front and restrict the opponents to a lower total in the back end. Cricket has evolved so much in the past few years that I don't think conditions matter anymore. My job is to deliver, it is as simple as that."
The pacer has worked hard at training and has left the selection to be the captain and coach's headache, even as England's Chris Jordan poses a direct challenge for the second seamer's slot behind Mohammad Shami.
"Look, with Shami (Mohammed), Jordan (Chris), and myself, we have got a vastly experienced seam attack. The playing XI decision depends upon the coach and the captain before the match," said Cottrell, who could get an edge being someone capable of bowling yorkers with both new and the old ball.
"For me, it is much easier to bowl yorkers with the new ball as you get a bit of swing too. It also brings a surprise element. It is difficult with the old ball, because at the back end of the innings, batsmen want to slog every bowl out of the park, so the error margin is very less," he added.
