Increase the cricket coaching opportunities outside the existing country v country format, says John Buchanan
MUMBAI: John Buchanan is considered to be the most successful national coach of Australia.
He believes that the coaching opportunities need to be expanded.
Speaking exclusively from Australia, he said, “I think there is scope and precedent to move to a different model of team management”.
“Take for instance American football (gridiron) where there is a Head Coach, offensive unit coach, defensive unit coach, and special teams unit coach. Here the Head Coach is the coordinator of all units, major strategist, final decision maker”
“In each unit there are a number of assistant coaches with specific skills and roles to help make each unit work”.
“American baseball, Football (soccer) at the highest level has the team manager who plays a similar role to the American football head coach. So I think there is definite scope to change the job description of the cricket head coach to one of Team Manager, and who oversees all forms of the game, but uses specialist coaches for Test, ODI and T20”, he added.
“There is a definite need to increase coaching opportunities in cricket outside the existing country v country format and the number of T20 leagues around the world. Such a move will impose additional costs on countries to support such structures; however, with more opportunities to coach your national team, i.e. as Team manager, as head coach of a specific format, and to be assistant coach with specialist skills, this structure will provide incentives and pathays for new and young coaches to want to pursue this avenue as a real longterm career”.
“More quality coaches in a cricket system will only help the development of athletes, teams and ultimately the game”, the 63-year-old Buchanan signed off.
