Paul Nixon
The former England keeper on the pressures of coaching
West Indies coach Phil Simmons was fired this week despite leading the West Indies to World T20 victory just a few months ago. It’s a shame because he has had a lot to deal with. There have been a lot of politics over there but he tried to get more discipline in that team, a more disciplined lifestyle. The West Indies are in a better place now to where they were before Phil took over.
And that’s what a coach wants to see – progress.
There is, of course, pressure whether you are a player or a coach. The big difference is that the coach has to see the bigger picture. It’s about moving forward and planning for those steps. The here and now matters but your focus is more widespread. A player’s focus is more one game and one season at a time.
Cricket for the coach isn’t like some other sports where a couple of bad results can put your job in question.
It’s about continuity and longevity. Chairmen and club members know it takes time to get a settled team that can compete in all forms of the game, home and away.
You can bring in different coaches to help with the different formats but it’s vital the messages stay the same and that continuity goes right through the club.
If you are head coach, you have a much bigger role than just looking after the players. You’re a key member of the whole club. You have to make sure that player pathways are available, the out grounds are going well, there’s communication between your strength and conditioning man and your physio. That’s three things – and there’s a lot more!
Being head coach is a fantastic role, but it’s demanding.
Counties won’t necessarily just pick the best coach in the world when looking for a new man to lead their team. The incoming coach has to have the same mentality and As a wicketkeeper I was a loud voice on the field so I must be off it as well. Perhaps that helps with coaching . As a keeper you have to be a proactive chameleon ethos that the county has built over the past few decades.
It’s not about you as an individual, in fact it’s the opposite.You’ll find the clubs that have been unsuccessful have employed characters who have perhaps been a bit selfish at times.
I like to think I’m not like that, and I’ve had success when coaching the Jamaica Tallawahs.
As a wicketkeeper I was a loud voice on the field so I must be off it as well. Perhaps that helps. As a keeper you have to be a proactive chameleon and know when to give input and when not to.
Of course, you build up a rapport with bowlers and can help set fields so yes, that can help coaching.You also learn more about different surfaces, and the way the ball reacts.
More keepers are turning into coaches because they do have a very rounded view of the game. They can see the game from a lot of different perspectives.You tend to spend more time as a keeper-batsman on the pitch than any other player.
But that’s only one aspect of coaching. As a coach, you need to be your players’ biggest fan but know when to criticise too. It’s such a fine balance, and that’s why it’s one of the most difficult arts of the game.
That’s why I don’t think anyone can go straight from playing into being a coach and leading their own team, there’s simply too much to learn.
It’s not just the drills but the structure of net practice, working with different age groups, keeping everyone fit, there’s just so much to it.