Can’t coach the way you played: Bangar
NEW DELHI: Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes it is important for players to delink from their past when they take up the job of coaching.
“May be, players who have played at a very elite level may not understand what players of average ability are going through,” he said while speaking on Star Sports’ show ‘Cricket Connected’. “One thing that we are taught during our coaching education is to delink from our past. Basically, you can’t coach the way you have played the game,” Bangar, who served as the batting coach of Team India from 2014 to 2019, added.
Meanwhile, former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson feels a coach must gain the confidence of a player in order to make him a better sportsperson. “Once the player identifies that you are of use to him, you have got his respect. For some coaches, that takes longer time than others,” said Hesson.
“When you become useful to a player, they actually think ‘This guy is going to be helpful to get the best out of me’,” he added. Hesson, who is currently the Director of Cricket for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), said coaches who are less experienced and those who come straight from a playing background would exhaust all their personal experiences in the first week of coaching.
“It is not just about telling them stories about what you used to do as a player. It is about them genuinely thinking that you can help them become better players,” he said. Earlier, former India batsman Gautam Gambhir said it is not important for an individual to have a lot of international experience in order to become a successful cricket coach.