Date:14/09/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/14/stories/2004091407581800.htm

Sport - Cricket

Coach needs to know `man management': Aaquib

By K.C. Vijaya Kumar

BANGALORE, SEPT. 13 . A decade ago, it was indeed a case of desert roses for Aaquib Javed.

The lean wiry Pakistani swing bowler claimed a seven for 37 against India in the Wills Trophy final under the scorching Sharjah sun. His bunch of wickets also included a hat-trick that ambushed Ravi Shastri, Mohammed Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar.

Aaquib Javed has traversed quiet a distance from those heady days of October 1991, and now he is busy adjusting to his role as coach with the Pakistan Cricket Academy and the `A' team, and happy guiding his rookie National squad to a title triumph in the Under-19 World Cup at Dhaka, this year.

"I am focussing on developing our own cricket coaching manual. We will submit it to the ICC for approval. Based on that we will have our own Level One and Level Two coaching programmes. Our two nations have a cricketing history with greats like Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Javed Miandad. We need not necessarily follow the philosophies of a Lillee, a Waugh or a Barry Richards. It is just that we have to improve our coaching culture," Aaquib said on the sidelines of the Asian Cricket Council's coaches' seminar at the National Cricket Academy here on Monday.

The former Pakistani medium-pacer was in good spirits. It was understandable, as Pakistan gradually tastes success with new coach Bob Woolmer.

"Woolmer is a lucky guy because he replaced someone (Javed Miandad) who had no plans. Javed bhai did not have any fixed plans, while Woolmer follows a system and the team will obviously benefit from that," Aaquib said.

The debate on `great-player-great-coach' left Aaquib at his effusive best.

"The advantage of being a great player is that people listen to him. But great cricketers also need to do their research, learn the methods and adapt the right process of coaching because it is more often about man management than technique. May be Javed bhai and Kapil failed because they failed to learn," Aaquib said.

Queried on India's forthcoming clash against Pakistan at Birmingham on September 19, Aaquib said, "Pakistan has an edge with a settled team while India is getting confused with their combination, that can be crucial."