Coach

Archie Mac | 8:42am GMT 15 January 2017

Published: 2016
Pages: 316
Author: Lehmann, Darren
Publisher: Ebury Press
Rating: 3 stars

Darren Lehmann tells us there will never be a comparable in cricket to Sir Alex Ferguson, who was the manager of Manchester United for 27 years. He cites the never ending season as one reason, with international teams now playing almost nonstop all year round. Although he is against separate coaches for cricket’s three disciplines even if that strategy released some of the pressure on the head coach.

Lehmann’s acceptance of his inevitable fate, to either be sacked or forced to resign, gives some insight into both his phlegmatic and laid back attitude but also hints at his self awareness. Coach, should put to bed once and for all the perception that Lehmann is simply a caricature of an Aussie ocker.

In his book, Lehmann discloses plenty about himself and the Australian team and shows he’s a progressive thinker on the game. For instance he advocates the removal of the toss in Test cricket to allow the visiting team to have choice of innings. He also believes that the flat pitches currently prevalent in Test cricket, if not addressed, could lead to the demise of the traditional game.

In relation to 20/20 Lehmann asserts that games should be confined to domestic matches, to lessen scheduling issues, and that only the 20/20 World Cup should be played between countries. Another of Lehmann’s ideas is perhaps out there but shows that he is a thinker. He suggests in Coach the idea of Aussie spinners playing matches in the Indian domestic competition so they can learn to adapt to the Indian low pitches. He concedes however that with the hectic schedule this is unlikely to occur.

Lehmann is also able to admit when he made the wrong call as a selector and a coach. He confesses that taking Shane Watson and Brad Haddin to England for the most recent Ashes series was a mistake and that both players were past it. Those who watched the series may well have added Michael Clarke’s name to that list.

Lehmann is secure enough in his role to admit that he does not have all the answers and that he is still learning about the game. He also lists the coaches he credits with helping him to frame his coaching philosophy and these include the great South African batsmen Barry Richards. It seems Richards taught Lehmann other things apart from cricket, giving the cocky youngster a lesson in humility. Richards beat Lehmann in Squash 11-8 in two straight sets which doesn’t sound too bad until you learn that Richards gave the young Lehmann an eight point start in both.

Apart from Richards, Lehmann gives a lot of credit for his coaching abilities to David Hookes. The writing on both Hookes and the similarly ill fated Phillip Hughes make for especially heart wrenching reading and sheds new light on both players’ characters.

Coach provides a fascinating insight into what must be one of the most scrutinised roles in world sport, with the pressures on Lehmann, his support staff and the players appearing to be almost constant. Add to this the fact Lehmann is away from his family on average 300 days a year then it is no wonder that there will never be a Sir Alex Ferguson in cricket. Coach is a quality read. Well written and almost typo free it is recommended to all cricket fans. It should also been noted that Coach is one of the few cricket books published in 2016 that goes to the trouble to provide an index, which added to the reading and ease of the reviewing process.