If you want to learn any game the best, you need a mentor or sensei to guide you through the initial stages and look into it so that you land on both your feet whenever you are struggling to hold your ground. Cricket is the same, and the best coaches make and break the game for the team of players they decide to tutor.
The unique world of online fantasy cricket that evolved around the pandemic presents you with such an opportunity where you have to decide what players go best with your team and gain a chance to create a unique band of cricketers that you can put up as rivals against other online teams. Fantasy cricket has reignited the love of cricket in people and acknowledged the fact that scouting talent is an integral factor of the sport.
Let’s check out some of the past and present best coaches who have made decent contributions to the game and changed the fate of several international teams with their exceptional skills.
Bob Woolmer
Bob is one of the most resounding coaches in the game; in 1991, he took charge of Warwickshire and gave them the most coveted Natwest trophy. This sudden emergence of the coach into the limelight helped him gain prominence in the cricketing world, and he was chosen to lead the South African cricketing team, which proved to be another wonder. He is credited with having evolved their game to a new level, and the team was led into winning 10 out of their 15 upcoming series, which is an impossible feat. His career was at an all-time high when he last got into selection for the Pakistan international cricket team. Owing to a very odd coincidence, Bob died within a few hours of Pakistan’s exit from the 2007 World Cup after they were initially successful for a long time under his guidance.
Andy Flower
In 2009 Andy got into his position as a coach in England after a very successful career in Zimbabwe as a top cricketer and a great off-break bowler. His success as a coach became well known as the team won the 2010 ICC trophy of the newly introduced T20 World Cup.
Under him, England grabbed positions worldwide that they had never imagined they would. The team became the top in terms of playing test cricket and won the Ashes series consecutively three times in a row. They had impeccable form in tests and became unbeatable within a brief period. Andy’s praises still echo through the dressing room of the English team as anyone is yet to be a better coach and lead that side through suck herculean challenges.
John Buchanan
No list on earth of the best coaches can be complete without John mentioned in the list. He holds the most records among many coaches and is undoubtedly one of the top best coaches in cricket. There was a point in time when every team wanted John on their side so the players could learn something unique and valuable from him.
When John was appointed the coach of the Australian team, he showered them with all his special training, and the team was able to win two back-to-back World Cups within 8 years, which no other coach had been able to achieve to date.
His immense achievements landed him as the coach of New Zealand, and later, he was appointed as the initial coach for two years for the Kolkata Knight Riders team, which is one of the favorite clubs of IPL fans.
Gary Kirsten
Besides being a killer coach, Gary is one of the best cricket players among coaches. He is the only South African player who has scored a 188 without being bowled over by the opposition. His most appreciated contribution has been to the Indian National Cricket team, whom he took for a killer rise in 2008.
The Indian team was struggling before Gary came in, and he fixed the loose ends and improved the potential of the young players. Under his tutelage, the Indian team could climb to the top position in ODIs and the test chart and win the World Cup most extraordinarily in 2011.
Dav Whatmore
Dav is one of the best world cup winning coaches and led the national team of Sri Lanka to snatch the 1996 World Cup trophy. His team tactics were significant enough to strategize even a weaker team and helped a moderate Bangladesh side get their very first test win in 2005.
Whatmore did not let his run end there; he even went further to coach the Pakistan national team and made some intense changes in their batting and bowling order. The team was able to climb the ladder and grab the Asia cup, making them a strong contender for future games. Through these constant feats, Dav has gained a considerable reputation in the cricketing world, and his name still reverberates in the hall of fame for coaches.
Final Thoughts
Coaches are the most valuable inclusion in the cricket team and play the role of a concerned father who chalks out how to plan and execute the best attacks in a match. They constantly support cricket teams and guide them between the matches lest they struggle and fall. These coaches are one of a kind, and their contributions still are and will be counted till the day cricket exists in the people’s hearts.
