CAPE TOWN, April 23: There is not a soul in the Deccan Chargers camp who is not singing his praises. Fielding coach Mike Young has helped the team make a paradigm shift. His role has been phenomenal according to skipper Adam Gilchrist, who dedicated their victories to the fielding coach. The effort so far is a glowing tribute to Young’s untiring efforts.

Said Gilchrist after beating Royal Challengers on Wednesday: "What Mike brings to the table is not just fielding. He is a fantastic person and what we also learn from him is people skills. He has had a major part to play in reviving the team."

Having made a successful transition from coaching baseball professionals to cricket, Young played a key role in improving Australia’s fielding standards. His stint with the Chargers has made them one of the better fielding units in the IPL.

It has been a happy ride for Young with the Chargers but he is yet to unravel one mystery. "I find hitting catches with the cricket bat impossible. I am so used to the swing of a baseball bat. But the guys have adjusted without any complaints," said Young during a chat with this newspaper. Excerpts:

On coaching cricketers: There are lots of similarities between cricket and baseball. Actually they are the only two sports played with bat and ball. As far fielding goes the two most important aspects is still balance and vision. The ability to remain light on your feet is the key. After having spent considerable time with the Australian team it is easy for me to address cricket specifics.

On the Chargers: My primary job is to make them enjoy fielding and not see it as a boring job. It took some time to get used to the players. At the moment I can say with confidence they are enjoying every bit of their fielding sessions. The Chargers are a dedicated unit.

On fielding in South Africa: Slight changes have to be made keeping the conditions in mind. In Australia and South Africa where the grounds are bigger throwing becomes very important. We have been working on it from the time we landed here. The fielder at mid-wicket will have a greater role because of the bounce in the wicket.

On the fielders he admires in DC: Rohit Sharma is very good. The direct hit and the catch he took on Sunday were terrific. Herschelle Gibbs is special too. Ravi Teja is improving all the time and his effort against BRC was proof of his progress. Slip fielding is a tough area but we have a natural in V.V.S Laxman who with soft hands makes the most difficult catches look easy. I will have to add every player in the team has made a marked improvement.

On fielding in T20: The first thing I said to the players was to give their fielding some freedom. When there is a run out opportunity one should not hesitate to throw. Backing up at this level will be done automatically. Go full throttle when there is a catching opportunity. There can be no specialist position barring the wicket-keeper. One has to be ready to field in any position.

On the fielders he admires in DC: Rohit Sharma is very good. The direct hit and the catch he took on Sunday were terrific. Herschelle Gibbs is special too. Ravi Teja is improving all the time and his effort against BRC was proof of his progress. Slip fielding is a tough area but we have a natural in V.V.S Laxman who with soft hands makes the most difficult catches look easy. I will have to add every player in the team has made a marked improvement.