Cricket as I See It by Allan Border

Author:Allan Border
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2014-10-08T16:00:00+00:00

WITH GOOD AND bad teams, it’s incredible how often it comes down to having the right vibe; it means the players are out of bed, keen to get to the bus on time, and eager to practise and do the one-percenters, not grumbling about it or moaning about their lot in life. It’s no longer a grind when a team gets into an environment like that.

As a coach, you have to say, ‘Guys, this is the best time of your life! Don’t you think the guy that’s up at six in the morning to go and dig ditches would prefer to be a Test cricketer? Yes, it’s hard work and there’s pressure, but you guys are living the dream!’ You want players to realise they’re on a good wicket and can earn a seriously good living. Yes, they’ll be away from home a bit, they’ll miss their families and there’s a certain price to pay, but you only do it till your mid-thirties at best, and then you have the rest of your life. As a coach, you want to engender that feeling that they need to make the most of it: ‘I’m pretty lucky. Doing those extra laps around the oval or extra bowling when I’m tired, I mean, how hard is it?’ That’s the perspective they need.

The coach also has to make sure that certain issues don’t fester in a team, because there are different characters in every side, and some of them sulk when they’re not playing well. Each player needs to be cajoled in a certain way, or grabbed by the scruff of the neck and told it’s time to move on. It’s not just about technical instruction. You’re trying to take away the peaks and troughs, to get things just flowing along nicely. The coach needs to know his players and recognise the signs of discontent or unhappiness.

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