Foundations of success

Talent identification has changed. In this day and age we look more at guys who can hit the ball; we want guys who can come out and play shots and put pressure back on the bowler. So that’s what we’re trying to encourage as coaches. We’re teaching people how to score runs by giving them as much ammunition as possible. Then, if they’ve got that ability to play all the shots, it’s about how you shape that. How do you teach them batsmanship? How can they occupy the crease long enough while still being positive and being able to play shots?

Batting is such a wonderful journey because it’s not just a steady incline. I used to think of it as maze, trying to go from Point A to Point B, but it’s not a maze because there are thousands of ways to get to Point B. So I look at it as a road map, with through-roads and dead-ends. Players will always make mistakes. As a coach if you can help steer them, then you can be a little bit proud.