“We put in the hours and got the results”

Geoff Marsh will coach Pune’s IPL team. The man who believes that too much of anything—including money—is bad, recalls how a simple work ethic turned the struggling Australian team into a world-class team.

Amidst much fanfare, Geoff Marsh was appointed the Head Coach of the new IPL franchise, Sahara Pune Warriors, on 5 July 2010 at Lucknow. Soon after his appointment, the former Australian opener and World Cup winning coach spoke exclusively to Open. Excerpts from the freewheeling conversation:

Q Geoff, many congratulations. Why IPL and what will you bring to the table?

A The IPL is the most exciting thing to happen to world cricket in recent times. It has changed the way cricket is perceived and organised, given the players a whole new outlook and can serve as motivation for generations of cricketers who look at cricket as a profession. It is a professional league where excellence is the ultimate ambition, and I’d like to contribute in any way I can. My sons have both played in the IPL and have repeatedly mentioned to me how exciting the competition is, and I am delighted that I will now be able to experience it first hand.

Q A number of IPL teams have high profile coaches in their ranks. Some of them have done well, while others like Buchanan have failed. What will Geoff Marsh do that is different?

A Look, cricket is a simple game and I will keep it simple for my players. I have only one ethic—work hard. When we entered the cricket scene more than two decades earlier in Australia, we were a struggling side. We had one ambition to start with—we wanted to become the best fielding side in the world. And to achieve our goal we could work as hard as we needed to. We put in the hours and got the results. In the process, our batting and bowling also improved. There is absolutely no alternative to hard work and I’d tell my boys to follow this simple work ethic. 

Q You have coached a high-profile Australian team and you have been greatly successful as a coach. But this is different, isn’t it, many and in fact the majority are young Indian players who are yet to make the grade. How will you deal with them?

A I am aware of the challenges and am not for once saying that it will be an easy task. But as a professional, it has never been easy for anyone. The IPL is also meant to strengthen the foundations of the game in India, and we at Sahara Pune Warriors will do our best. Getting to work with youngsters is always a fantastic opportunity for any cricket coach, and I’d relish this opportunity, I can tell you that. It is like creating something fantastic, and what more can you ask for than to be able to create something unique in the world’s most passionate cricket playing country?

Q Have you targeted any player—so you have anyone specific in mind to lead your side?

A It all depends on the BCCI you see. We are all waiting to find out what the BCCI decides about the retention policy. We at Sahara are very keen that retention be done away with and all players go into an open auction pool. If this doesn’t happen, we will have to start at a disadvantage. Allowing franchises to retain players will place us in great difficulty in fielding a competitive team and can even impact the standard of the tournament. We have already informed the BCCI of our demand and are confident the BCCI will look into the principle of fair play and natural justice and do away with the retention policy for this year at least. 

Q And what about the money the players make? Some say there is too much money in IPL that is spoiling the game.

A Too much of anything is harmful. For me, the IPL is a top drawer cricket competition and you should treat it as such. There is no harm in the players making money, but they always ought to remember that they are players before anything else and their job is to play cricket and entertain the fans and viewers. Money and all else will come naturally later. This is something my team will follow as a matter of policy. With reference to the players at the auction, it is once again a matter for the BCCI to decide whether there will be a cap or not. We will follow whatever they decide.

Q And what about burnout? Playing cricket at 45º C heat is simply mad, isn’t it? And from 2011, chances are that teams will play 18 games each in 49 days. 

A Yes, it’s tough, but you must remember that the burnout is caused more by what the body endures with a hectic travel schedule, logistics issues and all else. Normally, players practise three hours a day and a 20-20 match is only three hours of effort in the middle. So more than the matches, careful and well thought out scheduling can reduce the burden of players. Also, we are told that the BCCI is thinking of fixing an upper limit for each player on the number of matches a player can play. We will have to see how things unfold and then take a call. But rotation is surely something we will follow. There have been many squads where players haven’t got a chance to play and this has often resulted in discord. Even international players haven’t been given enough matches. If you follow a carefully crafted rotation policy, you can surely reduce the possibility of burnout.

Q Will Mitchell and Sean now play for Sahara?

A They will be treated like any other player, and if they fit into the scheme of things for the team, we will surely pick them. But they will never be offered any special treatment. 

Q Digressing from the IPL a little, I’d want to know what your take is on the John Howard issue? It has snowballed into a major crisis and has almost divided world cricket down the middle between the White and coloured blocks.

A Look, for me the matter is simple. John Howard was nominated by Australia and New Zealand for a job. For some reason, I don’t want to go into details, he was found wanting and unacceptable by the majority of the members present. Now it is on Australia to respect the verdict and move on and nominate someone else. You can’t politicise an issue like this beyond a point. I am told that Mark Taylor is being looked upon as the new candidate. I have seen and played with Mark and can tell you he will be a great choice. If more and more cricketers come into cricket administration, it will only be good for the game in the long run. 

Q My final question—have you been following the BCCI-Lalit Modi affair and does it bother you at all?

A I have been reading about it in the media… but it doesn’t bother me much. It is an internal matter of the BCCI, and as far as I am concerned, my job is related to the cricketing aspect of the IPL—which is always going to be sacrosanct. So no, it doesn’t affect me in any way.

coachGeoff MarshPune Warriors