Former Australian captain and coach Robert Baddeley 'Bob' Simpson is watching a local match on the lush green turf of the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.
"See, that is typical of what is wrong with television commentators," he remarks, pointing to a 'floating' fielder in the slip cordon. "Commentators call that imaginative captaincy and these youngsters, without a second thought, implement it in matches."
That is Bobby Simpson for you. Always a man who speaks his mind, whether it is about the dangers of chucking (he makes a face and refuses to respond to questions on Muthiah Muralitharan) or the axing of Michael Bevan from the Australian team (Simpson believes Bevan was more interested in remaining unbeaten than winning games).
Simpson, who travelled with the Indian team as consultant coach during the 1999 World Cup, spoke to Assistant Editor Faisal Shariff about the differences he saw in the side that played the 1999 edition of the World Cup and the side that played the 2003 edition in South Africa.
How was your first experience with the Indian team?
It was quite amusing, actually. The first day of our coaching camp in Chennai in 1999, I decided practice would start at 7.30 am. We warmed up at the ground and when I looked back I saw all of them were gone. I thought they had gone to get their gear on. That's when Andew Kokinos [the team's physiotherapist at that time] told me they were gone for breakfast. That was the last time they had breakfast at the ground.
Breakfast was supposed to be eaten in the hotel before the practice session began. Gear had to be brought out in the open so no one could go slowly in the dressing room. We changed the practice mode, made it more compact. That way we did more work in lesser time. And most importantly we worked according to Australian time and not Indian time.
What else did you work on with the Indian team?
Togetherness was the most important thing. I know people these days overestimate the mental aspect too much. Psychological preparation is important, but it should stay within the parameters of cricketing skills.
I ensured that the players went out together. It was also important to broaden their interests in life. It was important to make them better tourists. Cricket requires dynamic players.
How do you rate the current Indian team?
It is a very good and exciting team. But India has a long way to go. They have had two good away series. But I think they would be unhappy with the result in Australia. They should have won the series. I think Sourav Ganguly's captaincy lacked imagination. Some field settings were bizarre. A lot of catches were dropped. I think this team is not yet in the winning habit. They still don't have the confidence to believe that they can win.
Pakistan was a huge lift for them even though I was disappointed that they actually lost a Test to this Pakistan side. Even in the last Test, they dropped seven catches on the final morning of the Test. You know, Australia do not forgive those kind of mistakes. They make you pay for them.
Does Virender Sehwag impress you as a batsman?
Sehwag is an exciting batsman, but I don't see him having a long career. He is way too flashy to succeed. You want to have batsmen like that in the side because out of every five Tests they will win you one almost singlehandedly. Mark Waugh was like that though his class was something else.
After four years with coach John Wright, there is talk of the team needing a new voice. Do you agree?
I have heard about it and it baffles me. John Wright is a great coach. Someone told me that a new guy at the helm would take them to the next level. I think that is an insult to Wright. Is he not capable of taking the team to the next level? What level was the Indian team at when he took over?
John has a proven track record. I know there is someone very keen on taking over the job, but is it good enough to have a good cricketer become a coach. Many are vying for the spot because Indian cricket is the goose with the gold neck.
Of them one, when captain, used to employ people to run camps. Johnny is an enthusiastic person who is passionate about what he does. Even at the interview for the post while one was talking dollars Wright was explaining his vision for the team. Money, he said, didn't matter to him.
What exactly is a coach's role?
A coach's job is to coach tactics, discuss strategies off the field, and solve problems before they develop in a team or a player. He is in effect the voice of reality in a team. I think that the coach and the captain should be given equal powers. On the field the skipper should be in charge, but off it the coach should hold the reins of the team. The coach should have a managerial role in the team where he runs the whole show.
How was it with you and Allan Border?
I had equal say with Border. I accepted more responsibility and judged the situation early on. It was a terribly frustrating job to rebuild a team. The team I had got was not very well trained. A lot of the players just went through the motions. I had to start from scratch with them.
Former Aussie skipper Ian Chappell says there is no role for a coach in a team and the captain should be solely in charge.
It is absolute rubbish. I coached Ian Chappell and in his first book he praised me for my coaching role in his success. Ian is not in tune with the times. Youngsters today want a coach who they can look to for help. How Ian could think like that is crazy. I personally worked really hard with him.
What do you reckon was your contribution to the success of the Australian team?
When I took over I realised that my job would be to get the team to a position from where they would not need a coach. It was important to get the team to accept their responsibility.
And even after 15, 17 years I am happy for what the team achieved in those five years. We set patterns for practice routines. Today all the countries more or less follow the same pattern. There were some very basic fundamentals I set for the team to be followed. Today the products are in front of everyone.
I coached Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Glen McGrath, Darren Lehmann and Damien Martyn. Today they have taken the gospel forward and they won't ever need a coach again.
Your reaction to Muthiah Muralitharan breaking the world record for most number of Test wickets?
I don't wish to make any comment about any individual.
Image: Uday Kuckian
