Former Australian head coach Darren Lehmann believes it is high time that the cricket world should adopt split coaching. The Indian team has always had a hectic schedule over the years and it would make sense if the coaching the national side is divided amongst different coaches for different formats. Currently, India’s chief coach Ravi Shastri takes care of all the three forms of the game whereas he gets help from the assistant coaches.
We have seen that some of the teams like England and Australia have already embraced the concept of split captaincy in the different forms of the game. Darren Lehmann believes it is hard for the coach to be always traveling with the team and stay away from the family given the tight schedule of the International fixtures.
Split coaches are the way forward – Darren Lehmann
“I think split coaches is the way to go in India as well as here,” Lehmann told BBC. “You just can’t be away for 200 days a year. It’s too much for the family and it’s too much pressure on a single coach.”
“I think to get longevity out of your coaches you have to have split roles,” he added.
Lehmann has had the experience of coaching the Australian team and it was under his tenure when the ball-tampering scandal had shaken the cricket world. On the other hand, Lehmann also has the experience of coaching in the IPL and the BBL. Lehmann believes the coaching can be split into white ball and red ball versions.
“It might be a white ball or red-ball cricket. You have to see how that works. I see that evolving and maybe the stage they start talking to the players on the ground but that’s probably way off,” the 50-year-old said.
On the other hand, Trevor Bayliss, England’s head coach also spoke on the same lines. Bayliss gave credit to Eoin Morgan for leading the team with aplomb. England has turned the tide in the last five years and Morgan has played a key role in the same.
Eoin Morgan has been brilliant for England – Trevor Bayliss
“Morgs (Morgan) is a deep thinker. He has certainly got the player’s respect and as a coach. And as a coach you definitely need that to get on,” Bayliss said.
“What he did for the white-ball team over the last five years has been outstanding. I’m sure if he wanted to go into that he’d make a pretty good,” he added.
Meanwhile, India had recently retained Ravi Shastri as their head coach with Bharat Arun as bowling coach and R Sridhar as fielding coach. Vikram Rathour had replaced Sanjay Bangar as India’s batting coach.