People this is interesting . Please read.
I quote from the following link:
Week 1 - SuperSport - Cricket
Start quote:
December 31, 2015
Well, what could he say? ¡°Yes, Graeme is quite correct. Several of the senior players are increasingly doubting my methods and beliefs and there might be a confidence and trust issue developing.¡±
Instead, in response to Graeme Smith¡¯s public assertion that there was ¡°some unhappiness in the camp¡±, head coach Russell Domingo replied: ¡°Smithy is entitled to his opinion, of course, but I don¡¯t know where he gets that from. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we are a very happy camp which is backing and supporting each other and the captain.¡±
As I said, what else could he say?
It was a touch naive, though. Where does the coach think the former captain heard the news from? The bar? The commentary box? Or maybe he thinks he imagined it? Made it up¡*?
No, he heard it from the players. And the more the coach pretends everything is ¡°happy in the camp¡±, the more he is kidding himself and the more likely he is to alienate himself from the players even further.
Perhaps the coach doesn¡¯t believe it because nobody has walked up to him, jabbed him in the chest, and said: ¡°Coach, there are a few things the boys are seriously unhappy about.¡± But then, they wouldn¡¯t, would they? They¡¯re professional cricketers, they¡¯re not stupid.
Specifically, then:
The team has three bowling coaches and no batting coach. Not even a part-timer, or a consultant. Duncan Fletcher, one of the very best, is free at the moment. Actually, there are quite a few options to choose from. Most of the senior batsmen have been suggesting it for over a year. They could really, really have done with someone to help during the India tour.
The team is short of runs, not wickets. You don¡¯t need a degree to spot the connection.
The team has nobody to help them exercise the most important muscle in their bodies ¨C the one between their ears. Call him what you like ¨C psychologist, mental coach, shrink¡* it doesn¡¯t matter. Just someone to bounce ideas off, to speak to about tension, expectation and ¡®pressure¡¯. This role CANNOT be performed by the coach. It has to be someone ELSE. Most of the senior players have been suggesting it since Paddy Upton¡¯s services were no longer required by the head coach.
It is a new year and, perhaps, it will bring fresh fortunes. Domingo has invited Smith to spend some time with the batsmen at Newlands on New Year¡¯s day. It will take more than a couple of hours to turn things around but it was an important and a good gesture.
Happy New Year to all.
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