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Familiar Kiwi is Wright man


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As a temporary option no man has better credentials than the New Zealander, writes Rohit Brijnath More... Familiar Kiwi is Wright man As a temporary option no man has better credentials than the New Zealander, writes Rohit Brijnath — Photo: S. Subramanium 2007061304382001.jpg THE ONLY CHOICE? With his wealth of experience at having previously coached the Indian team, John Wright (centre) is the ideal candidate as a stop-gap arrangement. In a time of desperation, Indian cricket must be wary of the desperate act. Embarrassed by Graham Ford, and with the England tour weeks away, the BCCI's inclination may be to anoint the first fellow who walks into its offices as full-time coach. Instead it should punch in the New Zealand code and interrupt the routine of a fellow stamping through cow-**** outside Christchurch. As a temporary option, a six-month saviour, no man has better credentials than John Wright. Indian cricket has three options. The first is to plead with John Emburey, chuck in an unready Indian coach, or suddenly discover Whatmore has redeeming qualities. Yet appointing a permanent coach, who would barely have skipped through his players' CVs before the England tour is over, is counter-productive. Camps are occasions for introductions, not major tours. You can't ask a player to play to his strengths when you're not sure what they are. The time factor Time is now on India's side. It can rummage through the planet, interrogate contenders, and then shove the final candidate into a room with Shastri, Manjrekar, Ganguly, Dravid, Bindra, send in water and samosas, but don't let them out till they have a 5-10 year plan. India's second option is to go to England with no senior coach. One could argue Dravid is an organised fellow, and will have the solid presences of Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh to rely on. The team is awash with senior men, many whom chafed under Chappell's rule, and it might be revealing to see what their response is when forced to think for themselves and guide younger men. Either way it's preferable to a picked-in-five-minutes coach. The third possibility is a temporary Wright. The downside to travelling without a coach is that while Dravid may bloom, he could also be weighed down. A struggling team requires his undiluted attention, but he will be arranging buses, setting up team practices, reviewing videos, responding to 113 interview requests. Sending a cricketing manager and media officer is so blindingly obvious that the BCCI will not do it. Numerous advantages Wright has numerous advantages. He knows most of the players intimately, and they trust him. Dravid and him share a mutual respect, and the captain could focus on his tasks reassured that no baby-sitting of the coach is required. Wright first took over when the team was in disarray and with captain Ganguly re-found a team's confidence. Once again a team has fences that require mending and the cattle farmer knows his way around that. Furthermore, Wright understands India's cricketing structures, its eccentricities, he would be somewhat inured to cheap criticisms from former players and officials who nod and get nothing done. The Kiwi will be useful for he will also give Indian cricket time to contemplate its future. For instance, we are surprised by Ford, but yet not taken aback. Would you, Sir, take this no-win job which has a guarantee of nothing but hair loss and a future addiction to Gelusil? Imagine having former cricketers whine "Who is (fill in your name)?". Or having to buy baseball mitts and plastic stumps for practice with your own money, as Wright did? Or inviting officials to see the team train, as Chappell asked, and have no one interested? India should be glad Ford even showed up for the interview. The family angle Maybe, of course, Ford merely turned it down because of family reasons, for as a former coach says, the position best suits a single man or a fellow approaching retiring age. Being away from children, the fastest revivers of spirit, for nine months at a stretch is gutting. Note to the board: if you hire a foreign coach, promise to fly his family down 2-3 times a year. One last thing. The next coach, whoever he is, the BCCI should call him. Not Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly. Any coach shouldn't have to be Google-ed, investigated, contacted by the players. As Wright was the first time, and Chappell, and presumably Ford. It's ironic really. When senior cricketers have to search for coaches it only furthers the impression that this is player-power at work, that in India the players decide. It is nonsense. Players have turned Sherlock because few in the BCCI are willing to wear that responsibility. Most officials are not even tuned into world cricket to know who to ask. Some probably sneer, "Arre, we don't have to look for a coach, this is India, they will come in droves." Not any more.

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