The Rediff interview / Robin Singh

'You need not be a great cricketer
to be a great coach'

Excerpts from the conversation Shobha Warrier had with the 'Lion of Indian cricket', at the Mitsubishi show room, in Chennai, where he's working since the past year.

You have not retired from international cricket but you are appointed as the coach of the Under-19 Indian team. Did it come as a surprise to you?

Was it a surprise? I don’t really know! But I had no inkling that it was coming. Earlier, I was asked to coach the South Zone Under-19 team, and I accepted it. I thought it was something I could do. At least, help young cricketers from the experience that I have.

I just did my job as the coach of the South Zone Under-19 team; but it is a totally different scenario as far as the Indian Under-19 is concerned.

Does it excite you to coach youngsters?

Of course. The nice thing about coaching the Under-19 boys is that they are at an age where they want to learn and come up. It is a good feeling when you can help young guys; you get a lot of satisfaction out of teaching them something that you know. It is a big challenge too.

Do you feel youngsters are more disciplined and more open to ideas and suggestions?

Naturally. Today’s young cricketers realize that there is so much of opportunity out there, and it is up to them to grab them. They are getting all the facilities; they are coached well and also looked after well. They know that they have to put in a lot of effort if they want to achieve something. So, they are very much focused and there is a lot of enthusiasm among them. Even otherwise, in India, there is a lot of enthusiasm for cricket.

Is it a tough task coaching the youngsters who are in the process of growing up?

It is. When I was playing for the club side, I was constantly helping the young boys with suggestions. It is also an aspect of coaching. You coach while you play.

When you play for the state team also, you see a lot of young guys in the team, and you guide them. So, it is more of guidance. You are helping a young fellow to have the right perspective. And, when you have the experience, you can help them. But it is up to the learner to understand all that.

It will take years for him to learn all that from experience. On the other hand, you are giving him the knowledge that you have gained from years of experience. That is the whole idea of coaching; and they will develop faster from coaching. Mentally, they will get tougher too. For example, how to approach things at different stages of your career. The sooner you understand that, the better.

Were you not coaching youngsters when you played for the English club side?

Yes. It is part of the contract that you coach young cricketers and young boys. Those who are under-10, under-16 and under-19.

You enjoyed coaching them then?

Unless you enjoy what you are doing, there is no point in doing that; right? Without enjoying, you cannot get success. If you don't enjoy it, the boys also will not enjoy it. If he doesn’t enjoy it, he is not going to listen to you.

You said you had to coach the under-10, under-16 and under-19 teams. What was the difference in the way you coached these various age groups?

Every age group is different. Their mentality is different; their thinking is different, and the level of cricket that they play is also different.

At a very young age, most of them do not even know the game. They are just learning. But some guys at under-10 were very good. A boy at 12 may be physically stronger to hit hard, but technically he may not be that sound. But at that age, you have to let them play the game, their natural game.

But for the under-16 and Under-19 boys, what is important is understanding the concept of cricket; why the ball is delivered like this; why a shot is played like that, etc. Although it is important for the boy to play his natural game, he has to follow certain guidelines. You may assist the player but you should not change his natural game. At the same time, when you find that certain things do not suit him, you should make him change that.

You are described as one of the fittest cricketers in India. Would you be stressing the physical fitness aspect more?

Physical fitness is important. If you are not physically fit, how can you play? If you are not physically fit, you are not fit mentally also. But physical fitness alone will not help. I would say, it has to be a combination of physical strength and mental strength.

Are you a strict coach, a strict disciplinarian?

See, I have to understand the guys first. I have to understand what their capabilities are. I have to understand their thinking. That is why I say, for this age group, becoming mentally tougher is very important. Because you have to be mentally tougher to play at the higher level. Physically, you may be there but the mental aspect is more important at the higher level.

Then, I have to understand the opposition. There are so many factors involved in coaching. You cannot say: I am a strict person, so you cannot do this. You have to understand the concept of coaching. I feel it involves both the physical and mental aspects. But you have to be with them for a long period of time to understand their ability, temperament and their knowledge of the game. You will not understand them in one or two days.

So, you feel it is very important for a coach to be with a particular team for a longer duration so that he can help them develop properly?

Naturally. You have to be with them for a long period of time. I don’t think you should go into all that; I think it is a bit controversial.

I am only asking a general question…

Yes, you have to spend time with people. Only if you spend time with them, you will understand them. It is important that you understand somebody first. Then, you can develop a program for him. Every player is different. There are rules and regulations for all to follow but somebody may be better than the others. You have to know when to push and when to stop. It is up to you as a coach to assess each player.

You are going to coach teenagers. Do you think a coach has to be there to help a youngster when he comes with a personal problem too?

Yes, you have to be there. You have to be there all the time. You have to help not only his game but other problems too.

How do you describe the role of a coach?

You have to be able to bring in the combination of discipline and imparting skill. At the same time, you should know when to be relaxed. It is a combination. That again depends on the individual. But these are some of the criteria that should be there in the coach. Plus, you should know the game well. You have to understand the individual personalities. And, you have to able to assess the opposition. You have to have the temperament and instill the temperament in youngsters.

At this age, they are growing. And, their thinking will change as they grows. So, you have to understand their thinking. I would say, it is a never-ending process.

Have you undergone any training for coaching?

What difference does that make? Does coaching make those who have gone for training better cricketers? I am asking you the question.

But I asked you about taking training in coaching…

Yes, it helps. I have taken training in coaching in England. Now, I am running the MAC spin foundation. And, we are updated on every aspect of coaching. But that is not an issue at all. It doesn’t mean that just because you have gone for training, you are a better coach.

You need not be a great cricketer to be a great coach. What is more important is, you have to understand the game, personalities and the opposition. You should be able to communicate. If you cannot communicate, they will not respect you as a coach. If they don’t respect you, how can you get success? They have to respect you as a coach, as a cricketer and as a person.

Like a good teacher?

Yes. A coach is like a good teacher. Like a principal who is running a school.

You have played under different coaches. What are the qualities that you have imbibed from them?

Everybody has his pluses and minuses. I try to do well, whoever is the coach. When he pinpoints a mistake, I accept it. There is always scope for argument; there is always scope for discussion, but you accept when somebody tells you something. I am sure nobody tells you something wrong.

As a coach, I am not going to tell anything to a player that is wrong and that will harm him. Remember, all coaches want their players to improve and when the players improve, the country will gain.

How are you planning to coach the youngsters for the England tour?

They have a camp coming up. They have been in a camp for two months. A lot of the boys are from the north, and they are used to the cold climate. The guys from the south may find the cold a little difficult. But I don’t really foresee this as a big problem.

I don’t know the grounds where we are going to play. So, only when you go there, you can comment on that. In England, some days are very warm, like the Indian climate. Then, it may assist the Indians. You never know. It all depends on the conditions.

What is more important is adapting to new conditions. Those who adapt faster will do better. The sooner you adapt, the better you will do. It is all about making adjustments. I have a few things in my mind for the team but I am not going to talk about it. I cannot.

Interviews

Mail Cricket Editor