From the Guru's mouth

HIS GAIT is slow and measured, age reflecting on his face as Gurcharan Singh takes stock of the cricket nursery he has built in a corner of Delhi. The Dronacharya Cricket Foundation is not just another cricket academy. It is not a commercial venture but a tribute to a cricket coach's desire to keep serving the game.

``I can't live without cricket,'' says the gentle coach, who can be tough too if he sees a cross-batted swipe in the `nets' or a bowler repeatedly overstepping.

Gurcharan is not a coach who would attempt at changing the natural flair of a youngster. ``Coaching is not about imposing your knowledge on the young trainees. It has to be a friendly reminder to the student that he is making a mistake. And my job as a coach is to correct his approach without making the student uncomfortable,'' says Gurcharan, a former National coach.

Don Bradman says in The Art Of Cricket ``I very strongly believe in coaching, provided it is carried out intelligently.'' A policy which Gurcharan has followed most religiously for more than three decades.

Gurcharan can proudly boast of a long list of cricketers who have emerged successful from his stable but his humility stops him from discussing his achievements as a coach. ``I was just doing my duty. The actual work was done by the trainees. They worked hard and earned glory for themselves with their deeds on the field. I have merely supported them,'' he maintains. As a guide, he has remained an impeccable influence on every trainee who came in contact with Gurcharan.

He is a strict disciplinarian and continues to be one. There was time when he would turn away a Member of Parliament from having `nets' at the National Stadium if it interfered with the schedule of his trainees. He once ordered Vinod Kambli off during the Indian team's `nets' for having stepped on to the field in coloured clothing instead of the traditional white flannels, an act which caused a flutter in the camp but came in for appreciation from the likes of Kapil Dev and Ajit Wadekar.

Being a wonderful analyst, Gurcharan has always remained highly respected in the cricketing fraternity. His involvement as a coach never stopped at just giving cricket lessons in the `nets'. One has known him sponsor the education of some of the trainees who could not afford school fees. The talented youngsters from poor background were known to collect money from Gurcharan for buying refreshments, not to forget the equipment and transport allowance.

Once the students were ready, Gurcharan never campaigned for their selection. ``They had to progress on merit alone. If they couldn't gain a place, it meant they had to work harder. My simple philosophy has remained unchanged,'' he explains.

The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of most coaches these days, especially the player-turned-coach variety, who pester the state selection committees no end to accommodate their trainees. Some of the academies run by former international cricketers are mainly money-making ventures, exploiting the ambitious parents who dream of a Sachin Tendulkar- like future for their child. What would the youngsters learn from a former Test batsman, known to back away against fast bowling, or from a Test medium-pacer, who had a dodgy action and was known to be a shirker on placid tracks.

The most vital lesson that Gurcharan believes is making the youngsters realise the importance of honesty. ``If you're honest, no one can stop your progress. You have to be a good human being first and then a good cricketer.

It makes it easier to achieve your goals if you keep faith in hard work and discipline,'' says Gurcharan. At 67 he may not be very active but he continues to be as committed as ever.

VIJAY LOKAPALLY

New Delhi

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