The Cricket Interview/ Madan Lal
'You have to want to win for your country'
Madan Lal Sharma -- 'Madipa' to his former team-mates and present charges alike -- is a puzzled man, these days. As he sees it, the team that he has been appointed to manage and coach is talented. "Very talented", he says.
But where are the results?
What is going wrong, and where?
The argument was that the team lacks motivation. And that, perhaps, was the main reason why Madan Lal got the job of coach -- because in his playing days, he was one of the most motivated members of the Indian team, and the powers on high figured that the former all rounder would be able to imbue in his charges the same element that he himself possessed as a player.
Almost a year after taking charge, however, Madan Lal finds that his efforts have not borne fruit.
So what more can he do? Where does motivation come from? What is lacking in the attitude of today's players?
The Indian manager addressed these and related questions in an in-depth interview to Chandramouli Kannavi on the last day of the recent coaching camp in Bangalore for the Asia Cup probables. Excerpts:
You were known for your hard work and dedication, during your playing days. Have you, as coach, managed to make your charges aware of the importance of these factors?
Actually, my whole coaching concept is based on these lines. At the international level, you have to start out by giving 100 per cent, and then go on to give even more. Technical adjustments often become necessary, but at that level you are expected to have the skills necessary to make those changes as required. At the end of the day, however, it is mental toughness, passion, that makes the difference. If you have that, you cannot go wrong; if you don't have it, you can't do anything right.
Why was the camp held at Bangalore, instead of Madras which is closer to the weather conditions in Colombo?
For one thing, Bangalore has all the facilities we need, so that is a plus. Then, people say why don't you train in Madras -- but that is not right, you know. My idea is, to have the boys work as long as possible, and for that conditions are better in Bangalore. In Madras, with that level of humidity and heat, if the boys get exhausted after an hour or so, what purpose does that serve? Here, the boys could work from 7 am to 3 pm, and that is what they need to tune up for the competition.
For the first time, you have switched from two sessions to one long session, why?
First, so that I could cash in on the weather. We were told that it rains in the afternoons and evenings in Bangalore, so scheduling a second session of training after lunch wouldn't serve any purpose. In one long session, we finished everything - exercise, batting, bowling, fielding, and at the end, because of the good weather, the boys were not exhausted.
How effective is a nine day camp like the one you have just finished?
It is certainly not enough, it is always best to have a longer camp before the tour. But a camp of longer duration would have been better. Having said that, we utilised these nine days to the full. We had a professional trainer, Tej Krishan Kaul, who taught the boys cricket-related exercises. The exercises were tailored to develop strength, agility, suppleness, speed work. I had not seen Tej Kaul before but I heard a lot about him, he has done a course in Germany and takes classes in Delhi. I have even attended one of his classes, and he is the best. He introduced new exercises every day, and did a very good job during the camp.
How important are physical trainers and psychologists for a team?
I don't think we need a psychologist, at least, we don't have to take one around with us when we are on tour. Of course, that is not for me to decide. But a trainer is very important -- a permanent trainer, that is. During a camp like this, the trainer comes to know the strengths and limitations of each player, and can work on each of them individually. But for any lasting good to come of it, the trainer has to be there with them, always, the programme should be continuous, otherwise the work is lost because of lack of follow up.
Did you work on the boys individually or collectively?
I do both, actually. I believe in everyone working together. I also believe in honesty, I don't like hiding anything. If there is something wrong, I don't believe in keeping it in my mind and brooding about it in my room and losing sleep. Instead, I tell the boys then and there what I think is going wrong. If I don't do that, I am not doing my job.
Earlier, you played for the Indian team, now you are its coach. Are there any differences in the pressures you faced, then and now?
Pressure is a constant, then and now. When you are playing, it is the pressure to perform, to do your best for the team. When you are coach, it is the pressure of moulding 11 individuals into a good team.
In this camp, you have 27 players when only 14 were going on tour. Is that a good thing?
Yes, it is. As far as the young boys are concerned, they got a chance to mingle with the seniors and to lose their inhibitions and fears. And as for us, we have been busy with international cricket for the last year and more, and haven't had much chance to see domestic cricket, which is very important if we are to know who is doing well and who is not. Here, because the younger players were part of the camp, we got a chance to see the form and abilities of the hopefuls, we got a chance to check out the new players coming up.
One way or the other, you have been associated with cricket for some three decades now. What changes do you see in the game?
Actually, the game has not really changed, you know. Some changes are there, yes, mostly superficial changes. Lights, coloured clothing, white balls. But the game itself is pretty much the same, only, these days they play more cricket than we used to. I don't think this means that they are better players or tougher than we were.
There has been controversy about several players who were part of the tours of South Africa and the West Indies, and who are not part of this camp. What do you feel about it?
It is wrong to say they will never play for India again. The players concerned have to be positive in their attitude, they have to keep playing, keep trying. In this class of cricket, if you are not positive, you are nowhere. At this level, you can't expect to get dozens of chances, especially when there is so much competition. If you are lucky, you get four or five chances, and even if you fail the first time, you have to deliver the second or third or at least fourth time. If you fail to do that, you cannot complain, really, if you are dropped. What you should do is practise harder, work harder, and make a comeback your goal.
In recent times, India has choked often, lost matches they looked like winning. Why is this?
We have to remember that most of our players are new to international cricket, barring experienced players like Sachin, Azhar, Anil etc. We are at the rebuilding stage, and when we are through with that, the team should be good enough to produce results for the next four, five years.
What is your honest assessment of India's chances in the Asia Cup?
Very good. In one day cricket, one can never say, and the experiences in South Africa and the West Indies should have done us a lot of good. I don't believe in excuses, we have to go there and do our job. It is time we began to perform, it is time individual players took responsibility and played for the country. Sure, I know they are all playing for the country, but what I mean is, the passion should be there -- it is not enough for the individual to think he is playing for India, he should want to win for India.
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