5 Best International Cricket Coaches
“One does not become a Guru by Accident”
-James Fenton
Since time immemorial, games are dictated by the one in charge of the situation. Be it the wars of the Armageddon, or the Greece-Troy war or the famous Mahabharata, wars (read games) are always won by the teams, but under the sincere scrutiny of the mentors. Without them, the teams will be more like the ships without the rudders. Here is a list of 5 such top-notch International power-houses, called, coaches who executed their duties in the most prolific manner possible:-
Dav Whatmore – This renowned Australian coach is mainly driven by his own set of values and beliefs and that is what makes him stand tall among the rest of the coaches. His entire life has seen a lot of struggles. He shifted from Sri Lanka to Australia in 1962, and due to lack of proper coaching, left his cricket career as a player, but did not end there. He wrestled with his shortcomings and overcame them with utmost will-power. The report card of his excellence has shown some brighter outcomes, like relative success while being the coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, outlawing the Indian and Pakistan cricket teams from the 1997 and 2007 World Cups respectively. Another feather includes the Asia Cup 2012 win as the coach of the Pakistan cricket team. He also has a good record as the coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team, despite some controversies and verbal clashes with the Lankan veteran, Arjuna Ranatunga.
Andy Flower – With his bat, he has shown his true colours for the Zimbabwean side. But, much like a chameleon, he can switch colours when need be. Once a great batsman, he has also shown his vibe with his coaching tactics. In April, 2009, Flower blossomed over the English cricket similar to a great boon. From an interim team-director, he was promoted to a full-time coach of the English side. It was under his supreme coaching skills and brain-power that the English tasted their much-awaited win against the Aussies and bagged home the much coveted Ashes trophy in 2011. Flower also succoured the British to win a set of 4-0 against the top-ranked Indians. Winning the Sports Personality award of the Year in 2011 by BBC, Flower is the much talked-about coach of this century.
John Buchanan – John Marshall Buchanan is really a man of utmost talent and brain-power. His rise as the coach of the Australian cricket team churned out some controversies initially, but, his performances made his critics silent. Buchanan never had to look back from then onwards. With the initial success of 16 consecutive test wins and 23 consecutive ODI wins, Buchanan marked his name as one of the greatest coaches in the World of cricket in the golden font. It was under his successful carrier, that the baggy greens completed an era of hat-trick of World Cup titles. He also managed to whitewash the England team to a humiliating 5-0 loss in the Ashes in 2006.
Bob Woolmer – The Indian-born Englishman, Bob Woolmer is being considered among the top-most cricket coaches in the International formats. He was the first one to introduce computer analysis to improve the play-styles and to judge the opponent’s weaknesses. However, his method of communicating with the ex-South African skipper, Hansie Cronje via wireless ear-piece in the 1999 World Cup brought dissension among many. After the defeat in the 1999 World Cup, Woolmer left as the coach of the Protean side and joined the Pakistan coach in 2004. He guided the Pakistan side to a 4-2 victory in the ODIs and a 1-1 draw in the Test format. After the embarrassing defeat in the 2007 World Cup against Ireland, Woolmer was found dead mysteriously in his hotel room. His death is still a case of mystery as even the Interpol failed to make a conclusive proof out of it.
Gary Kirsten – The former Protean opener marked the beginning of his journey as a coach of the Indian cricket team, in 2008. With some initial success, this veteran left-hander slowly accelerated the control to sky-high limits, when the Indian team won their 2nd World Cup fame after a prolonged period of 28 years. Apart from the World Cup victory, India also tasted few other successes in the form of tri-series and bilateral series against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, etc. under his mentorship. Kirsten retired as the coach of the Indian cricket team after the successful victory in the 2011 World Cup. He is now the coach of the South African cricket team.