Teachers' Day Special: Top 5 coaches in international cricket
In the early nineteenth century, students up at the University of Oxford used the term ‘coach’ to refer to a private tutor who would ‘carry’ a student of less ability through his or her examinations. Since then, the meaning of the word has been extended to include any instructor or trainer.
From simply honing a player’s craft, the coach’s role has undergone a lot of changes with the passage of time. Now, he is more of a mentor, friend, philosopher and guide to the younger lot. In tough times, it is primarily up to this father-figure to ensure that his players’ shoulders do not droop with the burden of expectations or succumb to the ruthless glare of the media spotlight.
The Indian cricket team has benefited from the services of a foreign coach ever since former New Zealand player John Wright took charge in 2000 after skipper Sourav Ganguly made it clear that the domestic trainer had outlived his utility. His emphasis on fielding, tips on batting to young players and excellent man-management skills allowed the team to enjoy an immensely successful five-year period – winning a home series against Australia, defeating Pakistan in an away series, and reaching the finals of the 2003 World Cup.
The coach is also an invaluable pillar of strength for a captain. After losing eight consecutive Test matches and the No. 1 ranking in the longer format of the game, both skipper MS Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher were subjected to intense scrutiny from the media and the fickle-minded Indian fans. The aging Fletcher stood by the normally unflappable Jharkhand lad, and the team promptly returned to winning ways; dishing out a 4-0 drubbing to Australia at home before winning the Champions Trophy and the tri-series in West Indies.
As we celebrate Teacher’s Day in India today, here is a list of the top five coaches in international cricket, who have revolutionised the teams during their tenure:
5. Dav Whatmore (Teams coached: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan)
The Sri Lanka-born Australian came into international reckoning when he coached his country of birth to victory in the 1996 World Cup. Intense, brash and a committed motivator, Whatmore has always striven to instill his own values and beliefs in almost all the teams that he has been put in charge of.
For a man who migrated with his family to Australia in 1962 and who did not have the assistance of a coach as he struggled to make a name for himself in international cricket, the transition from player to coach was natural. That coaching omission is, today, the base for a mentoring tactic that he has perfected over the years.
The results have been excellent – during his tenure with the Bangladesh team, the squad enjoyed relative success, thrashing both Pakistan and India in the 1999 and 2007 editions of the World Cup, and winning their first Test in 2005. He also guided the Pakistan team to the Asia Cup title in 2012 – ironically, they defeated Bangladesh in the final.
However, he did have conflicts with the outspoken former SL skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, leading the latter to suggest to the PCB that the Australian not be considered for the coaching role over Geoff Lawson. Nevertheless, his success rate in moulding competent teams is quite high and very impressive for a man who played only seven Tests and a single ODI.
4. Andy Flower (Teams coached: England)
The former Zimbabwean skipper and batting mainstay was appointed assistant coach of the England national team, replacing Matthew Maynard in May 2007. He was part of Peter Moores’ coaching setup, and ended his playing career at Essex after accepting this offer from the ECB.
In April 2009, after Moores was sacked, Flower, who was then serving as interim team director, was promoted to that role full-time. That summer, under his guidance, England won the Ashes 2-1, and followed it up by winning the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. Flower was also in charge when the Poms took the Ashes again in 2010-11, and helped them to a 4-0 win against the-then top-ranked Indians, thus dethroning the world champions.
Flower has received praise from all quarters for his handling of the star players in the team, and was awarded the Sports Personality Coach of the Year by the BBC in December 2011. He is rightly credited for imbuing a ruthless streak in the current national squad with his no-nonsense, hard taskmaster approach.