Of coaches, form and a special birthday

Greg Chappell is the favourite, however there is Dav Whatmore in the fray still, and don't forget dark horse Tom Moody. Debate over who will replace John Wright as the coach of the Indian cricket team has occupied almost as much prime time TV and newsprint as the recent meeting between Manmohan Singh and Pervez Musharraf. Those not initiated into the ways of this country might wonder what the fuss is all about when there are a million other compelling issues.But we are like that only. There is some irony in the fact that the three potential 'foreign' candidates are all from Australia, where cricketers have not always been 'hot' about coaches; there is only a sense of deja vu that this issue too, like so many others concerning the BCCI in recent months, has become a rigmarole of sorts. But then again, we are like that only. One of my favourite cricketers and captain Ian Chappell is of the firm belief that if you have a good enough captain, the coach is superfluous. For that sentiment alone, Ian would be my choice as coach, though I question the insistence on a foreign coach. The argument that an Indian coach may be as good, but foreign coach would be 'impartial', and therefore more acceptable to the players smells of a deep-seated complex that unfortunately linger on even after 58 years of Independence. But guess we are like that only. Mike Brearley, whose Art of Captaincy should be bedside reading of any student of cricket, defines a good coach in the profoundly simple words of the late Warwickshire wicket-keeper Ernest 'Tiger' Smith as "one who enables the potentialities of others to flower". In that respect, John Wright was a fine choice, though the genial New Zealander might consider his task only half-done when he signed off last week. Brearley then juxtaposes his own thoughts with those of Smith, to suggest a way out of a lean trot for a batsman. This should be of special interest to the beleaguered Indian captain Sourav Ganguly who will be mulling his future over the next three months. "Cricket is so much a matter of confidence; no one can learn unless he believes he can learn, and that he's worth teaching," writes the former England captain. "For a batsman very much out of form, Tiger's instructions would often be that he should arrive early and have a long net, on a good wicket, with bowlers who bowled to his strengths. We need constantly to be reminded of our good qualities in order to get into a frame of mind which is suitable for amending our faults." Unlike Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar is in fine nick, but he too could nevertheless remind himself of his best qualities as he blows out the 32 candles to celebrate his birthday today. There is a point of view - and gaining rapid ground - that Tendulkar's best is behind him because he has been playing for more than 16 years at the international level. The logic is compelling, but real life examples suggest that this need be cast in iron. Some of the greatest sportspersons in history have actually been exceptional performers when in their 30s, and when the Doubting Thomases were the most vehement: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova, Ed Moses, Mike Jordan to name a few. Among cricketers, Brian Lara is at his most exquisite at 35, Inzamam like a colossus at 35, Damien Martyn in impeccable touch at 34, Rahul Dravid a run-glutton at 33 and Adam Gilchrist irrepressible even though 33. Indeed, most of these guys are at their peak only now. Expect the Little Master to get a second wind next season.