✪ Lessons from Shastri’s approach as a coach and his joyful cricket journey
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_padding=”3px||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”width: 75% !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_main_element_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_main_element_phone=”width: 100% !important;” custom_css_main_element_tablet=”width: 75% !important;”][et_pb_blurb title=”K R Nayar” image=”https://cricketlovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/K-R-Nayar1.png” icon_placement=”left” content_max_width=”1100px” image_icon_width_tablet=”” image_icon_width_phone=”” image_icon_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” content_max_width_tablet=”” content_max_width_phone=”” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.13.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Poppins|700|||on||||” header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”#E02B20″ header_font_size=”16px” body_font=”Poppins||||||||” body_text_align=”left” body_text_color=”#565656″ custom_padding=”|||550px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”|||20px|false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_blurb_image=”width:70px;” image_max_width_tablet=”” image_max_width_phone=”” image_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]Senior cricket writer & analyst
[/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.13.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”8px||||false|false” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Abu Dhabi. It was Ravi Shastri’s last day as Team India’s coach when India played Namibia in their last match of the T20 World Cup.
This story was published in News Trail, Bangalore
As a mark of respect for his contribution to Indian cricket over the last five years, I sent him a message saying, “A salute for creating many great moments for Indian cricket”. He thanked me and also provided me statistics on his team’s performance under his guidance. It read as follows: From 42 Tests, we won 24 (57 percent), out of the 79 ODIs played, India won 53 (67 percent), and from 67 T20 matches, India won 43 (65 percent). Effectively, the winning percentage for India across all formats in the last five years is 65.
This figure emphasised the fact that he deserved a salute. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from Shastri’s phase. Had he won this World Cup he would have received a standing ovation and a great farewell, but the world always lives in the present. And every cricketer knows very well that he is only as good as his performance in his last innings. Shastri is a cricketer-turned coach. As a cricketer, he had become the Champion of Champions in the 1985 Benson & Hedges World Championship of cricket in Australia utilising whatever skills he had to the maximum.
What Shastri did as a player was exactly what he did as a coach. He harnessed the skills in his players and got the best out of them. It is said that being the captain of the Indian team is the toughest job in the world. If that is the toughest job, then isn’t the coach’s job tougher? He needs to ensure that not only the captain but the entire team is ready for the battle withstanding all the pressures.
Shastri’s forte may not have been in rectifying the techniques in a player. Instead, he had that innate ability to instill confidence in a player on how to correct one’s mistakes. And this is what players who have made it to the Indian team need. Shastri redefined the role of a coach proving that managing a player is as important as guiding a player to identify and rectify drawbacks in his technique.
Shastri’s approach was based on his observations of the game over the years. Even while he was a player, and after his playing days as well, he continued to learn about the game. That is why he was able to express his views clearly as a commentator. He learned the art to communicate effectively.
To beat teams like England and Australia in their den required a lot of planning. These are teams that have always made use of the latest technology in their training to shape their players. Shastri guided the team to strengthen his team mentally in order to overpower the skills of other teams and players.
While playing for Team India, the tough part is to handle the weight of expectations from the fans. A few poor matches can bring in severe criticisms that can throw even the most talented player out of gear. And that is where the role of a coach comes in. He will need to help players handle those criticisms, and Shastri had that skill in him. In fact, he had the uncanny ability to laugh off any criticism or jokes about him as well.
The culture that Shastri created in the team was to enjoy cricket and play the game by delivering one’s best. But then that approach may not be acceptable when a World Cup is not won or a match is lost against Pakistan. Just like one should not judge a book by its cover, the pages of effort and planning gone into shaping India as one of the strongest teams in the world would be worth a read for a better future.
It may be now back to the commentary box or probably as a coach of one of the franchise teams in the IPL for Shastri. But for someone who enjoys cricket, the journey never ends.
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