The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Raman to focus on discipline

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Raman to focus on discipline

S. Ram Mahesh

It’s not about having the talent. It’s about the approach
Time to tighten up a few aspects in each individual’s cricket

CHENNAI: W.V. Raman had a demanding first season as Tamil Nadu’s cricket coach. The side escaped relegation from the Ranji Trophy Super League with a thrilling win in its last game against Baroda. It later won the inaugural domestic Twenty20 tournament.

The team’s composition has changed since. Some burnt their bridges, choosing to align with the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Dinesh Karthik established his spot as Test opener. S. Badrinath was selected in the Indian one-day squad. V. Yomahesh continues to be watched by the national selectors. Consequently, Tamil Nadu is set to play a young side this season.

Raman, who says the side has possibilities, spoke to The Hindu after the first day of the pre-season camp at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

Excerpts:

What are your goals for the forthcoming season?

It’s to try and get the guys to play the game the way it should be played. Once a young team, such as the one we are likely to have, plays cricket the right way, results will come.

What you mean by the “right way”?

Hard cricket. Most of these guys are used to easy achievements in the local league, where there’s a huge difference between a couple of the sides and the rest. Since most of the guys in the State side play for the stronger sides in the league, they haven’t really been tested. They needed to be told it won’t be the same against other oppositions, and that’s the reason when I took over as chairman of the selection committee, I wanted to see how these guys perform outside Madras. It’s one thing doing well in your backyard; against formidable oppositions in varying conditions, it’s a different kettle of fish. The good thing is we’ve got a group now of 16 or 17 that has been playing together: they were joint-winners at Moin-ud-Dowla, they got pipped by Mumbai on run-rate in the Buchi Babu. They realise they have to keep improving in different ways.

You said last season that you were surprised at the lack of tactical awareness in the team. Has there been improvement?

There has been a lot of change. It shouldn’t come as a surprise because it’s a young batch, and it’s the time to learn as quickly as possible if they have any ambition of scaling the ladder. From what I’ve seen this year, these youngsters, collectively, are thinking more about the game for the simple reason that it has been downloaded repeatedly on them.

What areas are you looking to address at this camp?

Since the Ranji is starting sooner (November 4) than last year, the time is curtailed. Yet, on the other hand, these boys have been playing since July. Some of them are playing the under-22 tournament, which means they wind up on the 25th. The key will be to ensure the sessions help them improve and stay mentally fresh at the beginning of the season.

How much skill development are you looking at?

This is the time when you can tighten up a few aspects in each individual’s cricket. We have about four weeks now. Most of them have been there since last year, which makes it a continuation of what they have been doing. Also, now there’s a lot of confidence from the other side about what I tell them to do and why I tell them to do that. Hopefully it will be applied in the season to come.

Does the side have the ability to take 20 wickets?

It’s not about having the talent. It’s about the approach. If you look at Tamil Nadu sides over a period, for all the ability, there has always been the tendency to try and be a little too intelligent. It isn’t always required. If you’re a bowler, you don’t have to necessarily bowl a different delivery each ball to out-think a batsman. You can be dour and nagging and frustrate a batsman. That’s cricket discipline. It’s about being consistent. It’s about being day-in-day-out bowlers, not good one day and ordinary the next. That’s what we are working towards, and if it happens, regardless of the names that play, they will get 20 wickets.

What specific lessons did you take from last season, your first with Tamil Nadu?

Last year, we had cricketers who had done well, but sometimes didn’t realise you are as good as your performance that day. Some lived in the past and wanted to be prima donnas. There was a general amateurishness of approach, be it net sessions or match sessions. We have a different combination this year. The biggest thing I took from last year was the need to train them how to play cricket. Everybody knows how in their own way. It’s about making them capable of answering different questions whereas in the years gone by, we have probably given the same answers to different questions, which let us down.

This season, you’re also the chairman of selectors. It demands greater accountability, but you’ll never take the field with a side you aren’t comfortable with.

I didn’t have much of a problem along those lines last year. Maybe the boys will view it differently. With just me handling it, there’s no one else to point a finger at. The boys will be more confident because they have their assessments of me, of how consistent I am in my views. I also have selectors who think along the same lines, also people the players can talk to. Most of the fraternity will agree that there has been a lot more consistency, which has given the youngsters confidence.

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