Of Cricket Coaches and India.....

So India's looking for a new cricket coach.....hmmm, should be an interesting ride - given BCCI's propensity to make a mess of even the simplest things, let's see what the mandarins and the powers-that-be come up with.

Would love to hear what Lord Sherawat has to say on the matter - a topic like this would be more appealing to people like Biku and Jham, who can relate cricket and football histories backwards. (I've never seen someone routinely stay awake till 4 am just to watch some cricket or football match - and then give a minute-by-minute account of the match a couple of months later !!!)

I wonder what it takes to be a cricket-coach ? And more pertinently, the coach of the Indian side ? There's the media, there's the spotlight, there's a billion crazy fans who wait with bated breath for every move and hotly debate each and every decision that's taken. Don't think its a job for the weak of heart or the squeamish ones.

Considering the fact that the Indian team pre- and post-John Wright are two virtually unrecognisable entities, the role of Wright's successor has become even more crucial. I know reams have already been written on the matter, but I wonder how many people actually stop for a minute and think about what exactly a coach can do and does with the team ? How do you connect with players of lofty international stature and bejewelled track-records and tell them to adjust their stance while batting ? Or maybe offer tips to a prime fast bowler about his run-up ?

It would be great to stand in John Wright's shoes for just a few moments to try and grasp the enormous complexity of the job that he's been doing so well over the years. It isn't just about the technique and the tactics - somehow I feel that for a coach to be truly successful, he has to connect with the minds of the players, and understand them at a psychological level. That's when you can mould the temperament of a side and instil the hunger to win, anywhere, anytime, time after time.

Here's wishing the best to BCCI and hoping that they make the right choice - only time will tell.