What's coach Duncan Fletcher been up to?

October 6, 2012
Duncan_Fletcher

After yet another disappointing performance, this time in the World T20, the country is typically indulging in one of its favourite pastimes: crucifying the captain.

It would perhaps be smarter to focus our attention elsewhere: the role of coach Duncan Fletcher and the impact he has had since he took over in April 2011.

The media-shy former Zimbabwe batsman had proved to be a super coach when he was in the hot seat in England from 2000 to 2005; he was hired by BCCI when Gary Kirsten, who had worked under him at Western Province, and senior Indian cricketers plumped for him.

Fletcher came with the reputation of being an exceptional man-manager and was said to have a way with younger players. According to former England skipper Nasser Hussain, with whom Fletcher struck a successful partnership, he was also an excellent batting coach who could deal with any technical shortcomings like a doctor would treat a patient.

Eighteen months, eight humbling Test losses on the trot, 12 ODI defeats, including two tournaments where India didn't even qualify for the final and six T20 reversals later, it's almost impossible to see any positive contribution from him.

Often on match-eves, one has seen visuals of Fletcher in close consultation with skipper MS Dhoni and they always seem to be having intense and important discussions.

However, results don't seem to suggest that they had worked out something beneficial to the team, or indeed to the players who have been struggling. At this stage, it's only natural to raise the big question: what exactly has he done so far?

While it can be argued that after Kirsten had combined with Dhoni to lead the Indian team to the pinnacle of the 50-overs and Test formats, the only direction that India could take was downwards.

After all, the team was on the cusp of transition too and was on the verge of losing batting stalwarts ; worse, they were about to embark on tough, overseas sojourns. But the fall has been too drastic, too brutal.

Journalists who toured with the Indian team on those ill-fated tours of England and Australia reported how the coach looked bereft of ideas and how every net session looked to be a mechanical affair. There was no effort or strategy made to deal with the problem of short-pitched deliveries.

Neither were there one-on-one sessions with struggling batsmen, like Kirsten famously had with Sehwag and Tendulkar. Most importantly, Fletcher will have to accept that he was neither firm nor frank with the senior players about their future and their utility.

Fletcher's phlegmatic attitude is not such a bad thing, especially in a country like India which is always given to hyperbole, a bit of anger and disappointment isn't too bad.

Sehwag might not have become the player that he was between 2002 and 2006 if John Wright had probably not caught him by his collar at the Oval in 2002. Yuvraj Singh might not have had the desire to come back fitter and excel in the 2011 World Cup had Gary Kirsten not rebuked him with his now famous, "Get your fitness in order. I think I'm fitter than you" in 2010.

While Greg Chappell was much maligned for his tendency to rub seniors the wrong way, even his worst critic Sourav Ganguly will admit that had the Aussie not rebuked him and taken him out of his comfort zone, he would never have mustered the anger, if not determination, to come back.

It was reported that Fletcher had a long talk with the Indian players after they crashed out of the World T20, telling them not to worry as they had played well. That's plain sugar-coating of facts.

India were probably the worst fielding side amongst the Test teams, their bowling was average, the batting was inconsistent and the captaincy was conservative.

Fletcher still has six months left in his contract. He has the comfort of playing two tough opponents on home soil. It would work in Fletcher's favour to give the players a good, old-fashioned rocket at times and not indulge in ego-massaging.



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News Network
June 23,2020

Karachi, Jun 23: Pakistan cricketers Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and rookie Haider Ali on Monday tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed three players - Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan - have tested positive for Covid-19," said the PCB in a statement.

"The players had shown no symptoms until they were tested in Rawalpindi on Sunday ahead of the Pakistan men's national cricket team's tour to England."

The infected players will go into self-isolation.

"The PCB medical panel is in contact with the three who have been advised to immediately go into self-isolation," the statement said.

Earlier this month, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was tested positive for the deadly virus.

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News Network
March 30,2020

Lausanne, Mar 30: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday announced that the Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be 'celebrated' from July 23 to August 8 next year while the Paralympics Games will be held from August 24 to September 5, 2021.
"The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympics Committee (IPC), the Tokyo 2020 organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan today agreed on new dates for the games of the XXXII Olympiad, in 2021. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be celebrated from 23 July to 8 August 2021. They also agreed on new dates for the Paralympic Games, which will be celebrated from 24 August until 5 September 2021," the IOC said in a statement.
Earlier, the Tokyo Olympic Games were slated to be held from July 24 to August 9, while the Paralympic Games were scheduled to be held from August 25 to September 6. However, the coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement of the event.
IOC said the new dates are 'exactly one year' after those originally planned, giving the health authorities and all involved in the organisation of the games maximum time to deal with the constantly changing landscape caused by the coronavirus.
"These new dates give the health authorities and all involved in the organisation of the Games the maximum time to deal with the constantly changing landscape and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," the statement read.
"The new dates, exactly one year after those originally planned for 2020 (Olympic Games: 24 July to 9 August 2020 and Paralympic Games: 25 August to 6 September 2020), also have the added benefit that any disruption that the postponement will cause to the international sports calendar can be kept to a minimum, in the interests of the athletes and the IFs. Additionally, they will provide sufficient time to finish the qualification process. The same heat mitigation measures as planned for 2020 will be implemented," it added.
The IOC president Thomas Bach thanked all the International Federations (IF) for their support.
"I want to thank the International Federations for their unanimous support and the Continental Associations of National Olympic Committees for the great partnership and their support in the consultation process over the last few days. I would also like to thank the IOC Athletes' Commission, with whom we have been in constant contact," Bach said in a statement.
"With this announcement, I am confident that, working together with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Government, and all our stakeholders, we can master this unprecedented challenge. Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel," he added.
IPC president Andrew Parsons said the new dates will provide certainty to the athletes.
"It is fantastic news that we could find new dates so quickly for the Tokyo 2020 Games. The new dates provide certainty for the athletes, reassurance for the stakeholders and something to look forward to for the whole world. When the Paralympic Games do take place in Tokyo next year, they will be an extra-special display of humanity uniting as one, a global celebration of human resilience and a sensational showcase of sport," Parsons said.
"With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games 512 days away, the priority for all those involved in the Paralympic Movement must be to focus on staying safe with their friends and family during this unprecedented and difficult time," he added.

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News Network
May 29,2020

Kolkata, May 29: Former skipper Kumar Sangakkara believes missing Angelo Mathews due to an injury hurt Sri Lanka badly in the summit clash of the 2011 World Cup, which hosts India won after a gap of 28 years.

Having played a key role in their thrilling semifinal win against New Zealand, Mathews was forced out of the final against India at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium by a quadriceps muscle injury.

Reflecting on the six-wicket loss to India, the former Sri Lankan captain said Mathews' injury forced him to opt for a 6-5 combination and was also the reason behind his decision to bat first after winning the toss.

"In that WC final, that's the biggest thing I look back and think...You can talk about drop catches and all of that happens. But the composition of the side and the fact that we were forced to make the change was to me the turning point," Sangakkara said in the latest episode of Instagram series 'Reminisce with Ash' hosted by India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Mahela Jayawardene's unbeaten 103 went in vain as India hunted down 275 with Gautam Gambhir setting up the chase with a 97-run knock before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished off in style, smashing Nuwan Kulasekara for the winning six in his unbeaten 91.

"But for 100 per cent, if Angelo (Mathews) had been fit, I know for sure we would have gone for chase... I'm not sure whether the result would have changed. That balance of team that Mathews would give at seven really was a bonus," the former wicketkeeper batsman said

"If you take our entire campaign, whatever we did Mathews' overs and his ability to bat with the tail and read situations was an incredible bonus to us. He was a young chap who came into the side and from day one he could read situations. It's just instinct, how to up the rate, how to control the bowler, when to accelerate."

During the conversation, Ashwin also asked him about the controversial toss when the coin was flipped twice amid the cacophony of the Wankhede and eventually Sangakkara elected to bat.

"The was crowd was huge. It never happens in Sri Lanka. Once I had this at Eden Gardens when I could not talk to the first slip and then of course at the Wankhede. I remember calling on the toss then Mahi wasn't sure and said did you call tail and I said no I called head.

"The match referee actually said I won the toss, Mahi said he did not. There was a little bit of confusion there and Mahi said let's have another toss of the coin and heads went up again," he said.

"I am not sure whether it was luck that I won. I believe probably India might have batted if I had lost."

The loss prolonged Sri Lanka's wait for another world title as yet again the 1996 champions failed in the final hurdle.

"Whether we win or lose, we have this equilibrium on how to take a win or loss. The smile hides a huge amount of sadness, of disappointment, of thinking of 20 million people back in Sri Lanka who had been waiting for this for so long, since 1996.

"We had an opportunity in 2011, opportunity in 2007, then T20 opportunities in 2009 and 2012," Sangakkara said.

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