The most consistent team of the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings, begin the 2015 season with a familiar look and have further bolstered the side with some experienced names. While they have brought Michael Hussey back to their fold, they have also invested in the seasoned Indian all-rounder, Irfan Pathan. Ahead of the team’s first match against Delhi Daredevils, CSK coach Stephen Fleming stressed on the importance of having senior players who can guide the younger guys along and play a role in their development. Speaking on the acquisition of the 39-year-old Hussey, Fleming said, “There are a couple of reasons why Mike (Hussey) is attractive to us. One is that he is a wonderful player. He might be at the end of his career but his recent performance in the IPL and the Big Bash suggests that he has still got it. “Just as important for us is his ability to communicate, particularly with the young Indian batsmen. We have made sure that the link between our Indian and international players is strong and that is part of the reason why we try to keep the team as similar as possible – to make it easier to understand each other and form relationships, which may not happen if the players are turned over frequently. “Mike is excellent in that role. He is someone who wants to get into a bit of coaching and we will certainly utilize his mentoring abilities. Whether he plays or not, he is valuable to us.” The main reason for getting Irfan into the CSK squad, explained Fleming, is the value he brings with his left-arm seam bowling and batting prowess lower down the order. According to the CSK coach, the only area to be worked upon with Irfan is his fitness. “Irfan has the skills we were looking at – an all-rounder down the order who bowls left-arm seam, which we like,” Fleming said. “We are on a bit of a train in buying older players like Ashish Nehra and Mike Hussey. People focus on youth but we like experience because of the knowledge they can pass on. “Irfan is not yet at that level of his career and he has got another chapter to write. What I bank on is the MS Dhoni and Raina factor. They can get the best out of players. I like Irfan’s skills and his attitude, and fitness is one thing we will work hard on. I like how he will fit into our side and he is a good addition for us.” Speaking of Irfan, Fleming also revealed that the all-rounder is not available for their first game of Pepsi IPL 2015 due to injury concerns. “Irfan Pathan is not fit and he will not be considered. Also, Andrew Tye is carrying a slight injury. These two players will have to be watched from day to day and my understanding is that they will not be available for selection for the first game.” While rooting for experience, CSK are also keen on developing young players for the future, Fleming said. He cited the example of Baba Aparajith, the star of India’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign in 2014. “It is difficult and I acknowledge that a lot of players don’t get the opportunity,” Fleming said, referring to the young all-rounder. “We have communicated clearly with Aparajith about his development and role. He is certainly one of the major contenders if we change the balance of our side. Certainly this year and the next year he will get his opportunities and we have communicated that to him. We are aware that his development is key for our future success. He has been batting with Michael Hussey since the last four days and that is valuable for a young player.” CSK’s opponents for the first match, Delhi Daredevils, haven’t enjoyed the best of time in the last couple of IPL seasons. They have made sweeping changes to their squad this year in a bid to arrest the lean patch. Fleming said it will be unwise to take them lightly. “There are no easy games. The only challenge for DD will be that they are a new side and so getting together and understanding each other’s style of play will be a challenge. But I rate Gary Kirsten very highly. His man-management skills are right up there. And with JP Duminy they have two people who can lead the team very well. It could be our disadvantage not knowing what team they will put out. Each IPL side has three-four players who can win the game on their own and that’s why you never look at a team and say it’s an easy game. “The first game is always a challenge and really you just want to get it under your belt; get a line in the sand and understand what you need to work on. If you do well, it’s a bonus. But you start by keeping the expectations quite low. You look for individual brilliance and keep building on that.”