Sourav Ganguly as Coach – The right move?

India’s captain Sourav Ganguly, left and coach John Wright discuss tactics

Ever since Duncan Fletcher took over as the coach, Team India has had one new low after another. Over the last few months, there has been a rapidly growing chorus calling for his ouster. And the cries for his sacking grew even louder (if that’s possible!) on the fateful evening Sourav Ganguly expressed his desire to coach Team India.

Being the coach of the Indian Cricket Team is no cakewalk. On the shoulders of the coach lies the massive burden of the hopes and expectations of one billion unforgiving Indians. Excellent communication skills and the inborn ability to get the best of your limited resources are two assets that cannot be compromised upon while selecting a coach. A normal coach, that is. But being the coach of the Indian Cricket Team is a totally different ballgame. There are infinite other conditions that are brought into the equation. He needs to be unafraid and untroubled by the few people in the Board, who perpetually want to run the show. The ultimate requirement for a coach of the Indian Cricket Team is the skill to handle a team where almost every individual is a star with a dented ego.

Now, if Sourav Ganguly was appointed coach of Team India, what would he bring to the table? How much of a difference would he be able to make? With the exit of Fletcher seemingly looming right around the corner, is the timing right for Ganguly to take over?

The Prince of Kolkata has quite effortlessly built himself the reputation of being a go-getter. His excellent man-management skills are  common knowledge, and his capacity to spot and nurture talent is a quality most lack. A no-nonsense approach, coupled with his fearlessness to call a spade a spade, could do wonders in disciplining the currently unruly bunch of players we call “Team India”. He is young, energetic, and exceptionally enterprising – qualities that Fletcher visibly lacks. Being backed by Gavaskar, Vishwanath, Bedi, and Kirti Azad would inevitably have taken his confidence through the roof. Cricket is a tactical game; and if there’s one value you can’t question Ganguly on, it’s his thinking prowess. After all, it was his unique style of captaincy that was primarily responsible for lifting India from its darkest days – the match fixing saga – and teaching India how to fight again.

In the recent past, we have witnessed a strange phenomenon in international cricket. John Wright – Sourav Ganguly; John Buchanan – Ricky Ponting;  Mickey Arthur – Graeme Smith; Gary Kirsten – MS Dhoni; the most successful coach-captain combinations in the last decade or so all involve a passive coach and dominant captain. Ganguly himself was an endorser of the fact that a coach must always take the back seat. However, the Sourav Ganguly we have come to know commands respect and has complete authority in every situation. Now, would he be able to adjust playing second fiddle?

Will Ganguly’s closeness to players affect his judgement?

There are a few other areas in which the Prince would find himself lacking. Unfortunately, he has a penchant for confrontation, and the extent of this competitive spirit sometimes forces him to unknowingly sacrifice the most important spirit of them all – sportsmanship. Also, his proximity with the current bunch of players is a matter of grave concern. His tendency to pick favourites is a feature one wouldn’t want in a coach. For example, his continuous backing of Harbhajan Singh, when Bhajji holds his place in the Punjab team itself by the skin of his teeth, defies logic on every possible level. Being a colleague and being a boss are as dissimilar as chalk and cheese, but we can’t say with utmost clarity whether Ganguly sees that or not. Any statement that comes from Ganguly would make headlines in a way that Kirsten’s or Fletcher’s never could. And it is highly doubtful that that would thrill the Board. He’s had no previous coaching experience, while his competitors have pages and pages of experience on their CV.

There is one last pressing concern. “Obviously, I have interest in coaching but only time will tell what can happen in future.” said Ganguly. But does he really mean it? A noticeable feature of his commentary is the impulsive elevation of a player to “potential skipper” the minute he displays the tiniest tinge of maturity or responsibility. So far, Harbhajan, Sehwag, Gambhir, Raina, and Kohli are all Ganguly’s “future captains in the making”. So is this just another one of his statements that should not be taken seriously or a statement that has been said just because it makes all the right noises?

People evolve over time. People change. And so one day, Ganguly would probably make an outstanding coach. Not now, though. Not yet. The timing is just not right.