Gritty Aussie

The last couple of years have been dreary for Australian Cricket, which once was at the pinnacle of the game. Where do you think things went wrong and how is the team preparing to bounce back?

There is no need for Cricket Australia to bounce back on any grounds. Every big team goes through a phase where it is transitioning and needs some time to form that formidable core group of players once the older bunch retires. But having said that, I think the current Australian Cricket team have had some successful tournaments in the lead up to the World Cup. They have recently defeated India, in India, which is a huge achievement. I feel we will be serious contenders for the title again this year.

Read FHM India in the digital libraryEvery issue, every shoot, on TCG Media.

The Australian team has always had a very overtly charged relationship with the Indian team. You now coach a team in the IPL. How does that work? Are there moments when tensions are high?

Australian teams have always played their cricket with a lot of passion and intent on the ground. I think that’s the general approach which we follow against all teams and not just India. I’ve always enjoyed being in India – whether it was from my playing days, or my more recent association with the IPL be it as a player or a coach. I’ve enjoyed myself thoroughly in both roles. As the Head Coach for Delhi Capitals now, I’m fortunate to be working with a very vibrant and energetic group of players.

You have had a tumultuous relationship with the media, both in India and Australia. How did you respond to that back then, as a captain and how do you respond to it now, as a coach?

When you are playing a sport at the highest level, media scrutiny is inevitable. I’m sure the Indian players and coaches feel the same way. But whether it’s a captain, or a coach – you’re there to shield your team, to guard them, especially from all kinds of negativity. Negativity will be hurled at you even more when your performance is not up to the mark. The only way to respond, is to play better cricket and win.

Often athletes say that the one thing that they are most afraid of, are injuries. Does this notion change once a player has retired? What scares you the most now?

No athlete will want to be vulnerable to injuries even after retiring. It is essential to maintain a basic fitness regime even after hanging your boots. Our body is used to a certain kind of regime while we are playing, and detaching yourself completely from that may have its ill effects on the body once we retire. As far as my body goes, I make sure I do my training every day, spend some time at the gym before hitting the ground with the boys for nets.

Indian cricketers, like many global sports icons have made a brand of themselves, whereas we have hardly seen anything of that sorts from Australian players. Why?

With cricket being the most followed sport in the country, cricketers in India are treated almost like demi-gods, and most brands want to associate with them for the visibility factor. In Australia, we have many other sports which enjoy humongous popularity, so it’s difficult for Australian cricketers to attain that sort of stardom which the Indian cricketers.

In the early and mid 2000s, the Australian cricket team had some really great days. However, when things went haywire, they went haywire pretty bad. How did you guys as a team deal with it?

Like I mentioned before, every team has its share of ups and downs and that’s what exactly happened with Australian cricket as well. I am happy that I could lead the Australian cricket team for many years and I am very proud of the bunch of boys I played with, we stuck around each other through thick and thin, and always had each other’s back on all occasions.

How would you say has the Indian team developed over the years?

The Indian team has come a long way over the last decade. They play the sport much more aggressively and pay a lot more attention to their fitness. They have an inspirational leader in the form of Virat Kohli, who always leads from the front and incorporates a lot of ethics in his team, and of course MS Dhoni, who has had a massive role in shaping this Indian team.

Adam Gilchrist, in a recent interview said that you were the best prankster in the team. Why is that aspect so close to you?

Gilly is a live wire himself and it was great fun to be around him in the dressing room. In fact even now, when I’m in the role of a coach for the Delhi Capitals, I try to keep things light for everyone to be able to bond and gel as a unit. In the IPL in fact, it’s more challenging given that the players aren’t from the same country, which is why bonding off the field is much more crucial.

You had the ability to read the game unlike anyone else in your era. How does it help you as coach?

The experience certainly helps tremendously, and you develop a sense of what all are the possible scenarios in a match while it’s on. For instance, in the KKR match, even before it went to a super over, I told Praveen, towards the end of the innings that he should go at the back of our dugout and work on a plan just in case the match went to a super over. So even before we knew that we would have a super over on our hands, we actually knew we wanted to send Shreyas and Rishabh out to bat, and that Rabada would be our bowler.