Writing for PakPassion, international bowling coach Ian Pont provides his unique insight into the news that the Pakistan Cricket Board is pursuing a batting coach and what must occur for said coach to have success.

By Ian Pont (12th November, 2012)

Writing for PakPassion, international bowling coach Ian Pont provides his unique insight into the news that the Pakistan Cricket Board is pursuing a batting coach and what must occur for said coach to have success.


A Batting Coach Will Have No Effect

One of the biggest problems with appointing a batting coach for Pakistan is that the batsmen may not even listen. That's not to say that a professional batting coach wouldn't have anything important to add or have any vital input. It's just that the way Pakistan bat as a nation starts far earlier than at national level.

The psyche of Pakistan is in stroke making. There is no issue with that. In fact it is to be applauded that a batsman seeks to score quickly or dominate a bowling attack. But where things have started to go wrong for Pakistan is they haven't yet fully mastered the RESOLVE of batting for long periods, often against accurate or testing bowling. That isn't to say that batting is the weak link - far from it. In recent times it is the pace bowling unit that has caused issues, but you need to have a top order laden with players who can occupy the crease for long periods whilst being able to obliterate bad balls.

A batting coach for Pakistan, therefore, has a slightly different role than simply throwing the ball in the nets to batsmen or to show them how to play drives, cuts, and pulls. This work will have been done in formative years. Rather, a batting coach is going to have to be a man manager of players, with a supreme understanding of how to educate and 'get into the heads' of the batting unit. It's never that players are not good enough - but it's often they are not smart enough. 

We have seen how Shahid Afridi's batting in ODI and T20 has fallen away to the point that he has become a virtual cartoon of himself batting. Gone is the bullying, dominating, and fearsome hitter of a cricket ball and in its place appears to be a slogging tail-ender almost, that has been out batted on too many occasions by a cultured swisher like Umar Gul. All of this is happening due to mindset. Afridi hasn't forgotten how to bat, he's forgotten how to think and act.

What makes a Michael Clarke or Jacques Kallis, and Alistair Cook or Jonathan Trott so impressive, is their insatiable appetite for runs, runs and more runs. And this is a responsibility issue. Those players and others who score heavily, regularly, and average around 50 or above - have a particular trait in common. They accept blame, which also means they accept responsibility. Because without acknowledging you are in control of what you are doing, and without wanting to be the very best at what you do, no coach on the planet will be able to make a difference.

Collectively as a batting unit, it becomes important to set the tone so the individuals all understand what is acceptable batting behavior and what works against the team's interests. We have seen how KP fell afoul of a tough Team England ethic and has had to work his way back in.

For a batting coach to work appropriately, be effective, and also help develop the mindset, one important thing has to happen. And that is the players have to buy in to the same mantra that is being taught. Only then will the team be on the path to acting and behaving as if they have a common purpose.

For me, I don't think it matters who ends up coaching the batting for the Pakistan side. That's because the solutions are inwards looking and not external. As I discovered with Imran Nazir in the BPL, it's only when you work though issues with a player and help them overcome a mental hurdle, that you can get them to become a better cricketer. As with Imran, so with the squad - role clarity, team ethic and 100% belief in the shirt you are playing for.

A batting coach has a big role to play, just as long as the players allow him to play it.

Discuss!