A good coach leads by example, inspires players to perform their best

Former Team India fast bowler S. Sreesanth has backed the views of Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who is not happy with the decision of the chief selector Ajit Agarkar and the new head coach Gautam Gambhir not to give the T-20 captaincy to all-rounder Hardik Pandya, citing fitness issues.

Speaking exclusively to DC, the right-arm fast bowler said, “I believe Hardik Pandya is an exceptional captain and the top all-rounder currently. His leadership skills are outstanding, and with the right support, he can truly excel. His impressive comeback during the World Cup demonstrates his class as a complete match winner. Without a doubt, he deserves the captaincy in white-ball cricket, especially in T20s. If we get three players of Hardik Pandya’s calibre, we could win the 50-over World Cup and the WTC finals,”

Talking about the position of head coach, Sreesanth said, “A great cricket coach should possess a combination of skills, knowledge, and qualities that contribute to the success of the team and the development of individual players. Effective communication is essential for a coach to convey instructions, feedback and motivation to players in a clear and constructive manner. A great coach leads by example and inspires players to perform at their best. The coach should know how to motivate and inspire players to push themselves beyond their limits and strive for excellence. A great coach is flexible and able to adapt his coaching style and strategies to suit the needs and abilities of individual players and the team as a whole.”

Former women’s team coach Purnima Rau also had some inputs on the qualities of an ideal coach. She believes that the coach should be friendly with the players. “A good coach strikes a balance between being friendly and understanding and being firm about players maintaining discipline when the situation arises too. A good coach has to wear many hats to get the desired results. He or she needs to understand the players’ psyche and behave accordingly.”