Burns' Eye View

Amidst all the hype about the 2,000th Test at Lord’s, and Sachin Tendulkar’s pursuit of his 100th International century, Duncan Fletcher is due to complete 100 Tests as an International Coach.

It is a remarkable achievement in a world which is intolerable of failure, and jettisons coaches as the scapegoats, rather than players (or administrators) for the under-performance of an international team.

I first came across Duncan in Cape Town when he moved from Zimbabwe, and played for Claremont Cricket Club in Constantia. He gained selection for Western Province as an all-rounder, but played little. He was focused on a career in the computer industry and after retiring as a player, began coaching part-time at University of Cape Town (UCT) CC, where he began working with Gary Kirsten at the UCT nets. Kirsten was an off-spinner who batted at number 8 for UCT!

At the time, I was Player/Coach (in the same Western Province Premier League) for Northerns-Goodwood CC, and then Bellville CC, and enjoyed the opportunity to see Duncan at work. This was even more so, when he took up full-time coaching as the Head Coach of Western Province.

Fletcher inherited a powerful provincial team from previous coaches Robin Jackman and Hylton Ackerman, but also developed a core of talented young players himself, who would serve Western Province and South Africa well. HD Ackerman, Herschelle Gibbs, and Jacques Kallis were nurtured by ‘Fletch’, and Gary Kirsten became known in cricketing circles as his prodigal son.

‘Fletch’ famously hauled Kirsten out of the pub in Cape Town and told him he could be a Test cricketer, and to stop wasting his time by ‘playing’ at the game. Kirsten changed his lifestyle, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Gary Kirsten’s journey has been a remarkable testimony to his mentor’s ability to inspire and nurture. The irony of the present situation, is that ‘Fletch’ is the Head Coach of Team India largely because of Gary’s strong recommendation, as well as his success as England Coach.

Over the past three years, Gary was a phenomenally successful coach of India, especially when one considers he had no formal experience of coaching a cricket team, let alone an international one. However, he knows the game inside out and has a passion for learning and life, added to a rare humility in top sportsmen. His relationship with ‘Fletch’ has been a key factor in his progress in the game, and the two have become firm friends.

‘Fletch’ is an interesting cove. He is regarded as taciturn, and very few perople claim to know him properly. Steve James, the former Glamorgan and England opening batsman penned his autobiography ‘Behind the Shades’ after his tenure as England’s Coach, and also played for him at Glamorgan when they won the County Championship. However, he doesn’t claim to ‘know’ him.

Nasser Hussain was thrust into a working relationship with ‘Fletch’ in 1999 when the two were appointed as Captain and Coach respectively of a ‘new’ England. They started off inauspiciously, with England 2 for 4 wickets on the morning of the 1st Test at The Wanderers, Johannesburg, and lost in four days. However, they formed a trusting and mutually respectful alliance to lead England out of the doldrums and towards Ashes success in 2005. Hussain has a deep affection for his former England Coach, as does Michael Vaughan, and key members of the teams who played for him.

Therein lies what I believe is the ‘secret’ of Duncan Fletcher’s continued success – his ability to build trusted relationships with the key lieutenants in his cricket teams. While some of his coaching peers may prefer to get their administrative bosses on side (sometime at the expense of their coaching charges) ‘Fletch’ has always built a tightness around his core group of senior players. However, loyalty in sport only goes so far if you can’t make a difference to a player’s game. This is where he excels – his tactical and technical input is carefully thought through and skilfully communicated to ensure maximum impact. Players never forget such input as it can make or break a career.

One of his most trusted men, is my good friend Eric Simons, a man of great integrity. Eric was a key player for ‘Fletch’ at Western Province, then became his successful Captain, and went on to become the South Africa Head Coach. He is now Assistant Coach to Team India, having originally been appointed by Gary Kirsten. To see Simons and Fletcher together again, running a cricket team, does not bode well for opponents. They are experienced, wise men who mean business.

For ‘Fletch’ the return to Lord’s for his 100th Test as an International Coach, will possibly spring a few regrets too. His departure as England Coach was ignominious. Losing an Ashes Series 5-0 in Australia was humiliating for all involved, and the World Cup performance in the West Indies which followed, was similarly woeful. His departure from English Cricket was a loss - he should have been nurturing the next generation of England players and coaches, as his coaching experience and technical expertise is peerless. His ability to spot talent is impressive as both Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan’s careers testify. Both were doing ok at best in County Cricket, but the then England Coach saw past their form, and recognised the qualities which could enable them to develop and succeed in the highest form of the game.

His subsequent consultancy roles have helped New Zealand, Hampshire and his home country South Africa, where his calmness and tactical input contributed to their series win in Australia two years ago. Jacques Kallis has also benefitted from the re-connection, and has taken his game to another level in the period too, thus making him an increasingly invaluable cricketer for South Africa.

When India steps out at Lord’s on Thursday, Duncan Fletcher can feel very proud of his achievement and despite his reputation, will probably afford himself a quiet smile at the rewarding journey he has trod, and be excited about the next steps.

Today, July 18th, is the anniversary of the birth of London County’s Founder, Dr WG Grace.

If he were alive, he would have been 163 not out today. On his 56th birthday, he scored his final First-Class century (166) for London County v MCC, in 1904.

He was the first icon of Cricket, played in the first-ever Test in England (1880 at The Oval), scoring England’s first-ever Test century.

Grace was a walking first: first two triple-centuries in first-class cricket, in 1876, first to make 2000 first-class runs in a season (2739 in 1871), first to 1000 runs in May (1895), first to 50,000 first-class runs, first to 100 hundreds, first Test century in England, and first Englishman to make a century on debut. His other Test century came against the Aussies at The Oval too, (170 in 1886). Grace captained England in the last 13 of his 22 Tests.

This week, at Lord’s, the 2,00th Test is being played. Grace played in the match in which the Ashes were created (1882 at The Oval), and if he knew how big the contest would become, I imagine he would be amazed. It is one of the pillars of modern sport.

Remarkably, in keeping with our London County theme and the phenomenon of the number 166, July 18th is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, meaning that there are 166 days remaining until the end of the year!

Grace  shares the birthday with Nelson Mandela, legendary Fast Bowler Dennis Lillee, former MCC President Hubert Doggart, Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, Olympian David Hemery and Golfer Sir Nick Faldo.

On this day in 1896, Grace’s good, and fellow London County Cricketing Great, KS Ranjitsinhji, made a century on Test debut (154 not out) at Old Trafford for England against Australia.

In 2009,  Henry Allingham died on this day. Allingham was the world’s oldest man at the time, and the only living person to have seen WG play Cricket. This was at The Oval., the scene of so many of Grace’s triumphs.

To celebrate London County Founder’s Day in 2011, we have a London County Colts fixture against Sussex Under 12′s at Blackstone.

I wonder if 166 will feature in the game today ?!

Yesterday, I enjoyed the rare, and very special, privilege of watching a genius at work from very close quarters.

As a student of the game, I visited The County Ground, Taunton, home of Somerset County Cricket Club, to observe Sachin Tendulkar, the world’s best batsman, prepare for the England Test and ODI Series against India.

His first priority will be to spend some time in ‘the middle’ against Somerset from Friday onwards, before heading to Lord’s for the 2,00th ever Test match, and the opportunity to add to his 99 international centuries.

A century will mean his name can be  inscribed on the Lord’s Honours Boards for the first time. Remarkably, Sachin, along with Brian Lara and Shane Warne, have been unable to score a century (for batsmen) or take 5 wickets in an innings or 10 in the match (bowlers) in a Test at ‘The Home of Cricket’.

The cricket world will be willing him to do so, but in reality, it is just another distraction for the genius from Mumbai.

 He will know that he must treat it just like another Test, and set about his work with the usual surgeon-like precision that has characterised the 99 other centuries he has made for India. He will know that his job is to put his team into a strong position to dominate the match, and simultaneously establish a lead in the series, before England can assert any dominance themselves.

As importantly as his exemplary standards of play, Sachin has been a wonderful role model off the field too. He has ‘modelled’ a humility, and lack of ego, present in the very best of people. He has maintained a remarkable balance in the face of what must have been significant temptation to over-indulge himself on the opportunities life presents when one is phenomenally successful. Quite simply, he is the best.

Watching him yesterday, highlighted to me what sets the best apart from the rest: a love for their activity.

Sachin loves batting – it is not ‘work’ for him, much as Roger Federer seems to be ‘in love’ with the feeling of stroking the tennis ball off the strings of his racket. It is an energy which transcends all others. The love for the activity means that the desire to compete over a lonfg period of time in a professional career remains a more likely constant.

In an interview published in ‘The Daily Telegraph’ two days ago, he revealed some of his current thinking (12.07.11):

“I’m not thinking of records,” he says, ever so quietly. “I’m just thinking of enjoying this tour. The secret to any performance is not in chasing records. I think about, ‘What is the best way to enjoy the game, and how can I enhance that enjoyment factor?’

“If I enhance the enjoyment then, naturally, the standard of play becomes higher. To me, that is more important. If I’m playing well, things can happen. I don’t need to go around chasing them. It’s a process. You construct a solid foundation and build on it.”

Gary Kirsten made a big impact on Indian Cricket during his three year stint as India Coach, and worked very closely with Sachin, ‘The Little Master’.

Yesterday, he was working with India’s new Coach Duncan Fletcher for the first time, having missed India’s Tour to West Indies over the past six weeks. Fletcher is one of the most astute observers of a batsman’s technique, and I imagine will add some ‘newness’ to Sachin’s encyclopedic knowledge of his own game. It could make for a fascinating relationship, and enable Sachin’s thinking, and play, to be stimulated further.

Watching the quality of Sachin’s balance aided by his very still head position, highlighted for me why he is so proficient at scoring all around the wicket. Like all great players, the time he creates for himself to play his strokes is enhanced by the fact that he is not making last-second adjustments because he has had the confidence to delay his movement into the stroke until the very last moment, taking time to be as certain as possible, exactly where the ball is, and what stroke he is going to play before committing himself to it. Watchfulness and judiciuosness are the hallmarks of the best batsmen. Sachin watched the ball like a hawk yesterday.

From a technical perspective, I have always been amazed at how low he grips the bat with his bottom hand -so much so that it is almost gripping the blade rather than the handle. It highlights the various ways of doing things well. Others, such as the great English batsman Tom Graveney, held the bat at the top of the handle, as did Australian legend Adam Gilchrist. WG Grace held the bat with his hands far apart, at each end of the bat handle.

My special experience yesterday gave me another opportunity (from only ten yards away) to watch closley (without having to concentrate on the ball like I did when I kept wicket behind him  earlier in his career), and observe all his idiosyncracies and technical qualities.

After a lay-off from competition following India’s ICC World Cup win and the IPL, ‘The Little Master’ is looking to work his way back into form. Synchronising the body-motion again, ball after ball, to develop the all-important rhythm that top batsmen seek, and getting the wiring in the brain to work most effectively, so that the thinking is clear, and able to manage the variety of emotions which affect a batsman’s equilibrium at the crease is the challenge.

Developing good form takes time, even if the right-hand column says a batsman is in form because he has made some runs, doesn’t necessarily mean he fells ‘in form’. However, when it all comes together, and the batsman feels in ‘great nick’, the confidence oozes out of them as their game expands from one innings to another, as they produce a series of performances which impact significantly on a season.

If no time is spent in ‘the middle’, no amount of net practice can replicate the match-tough conditions, where one mistake can prove deathly. I am sure he would love to make a big score against Somerset this weekend, but if he does, I fear England may be on the receiving end of his wide bat for the rest of the summer.

As a cricket-lover, I hope we can see the best, from the best, as the summer unfolds.