Hemang Badani’s voice is still a little hoarse from all the celebratory screaming after the finals of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). The coach for the winning team, Chepauk Super Gillies (CSG), sits back contented with the results and says, “When I was younger, I was temperamental. So I wasn’t sure if I was cut out to be a coach. I always knew I had solutions to problems, but wasn’t sure if I could communicate it to the players.”
But it all worked out well. This has been Badani’s second year with CSG, and it has been demanding with all the travel. “The way it’s structured, it gives very little time between matches,” he says. He also had to watch a “zillion match videos” of Chepauk Super Gillies and the opponent teams to know each player’s style, strengths and flaws. And that wasn’t easy, considering the former player does not like watching cricket. “I’ll wake up and watch a Federer play, but won’t watch a cricket match,” he says, adding, “You tend to get conditioned by what the television tells you and end up losing what you have picked up over the years.”
Badani retired from international cricket in May 2014, and the same year in October, started coaching the south zone Duleep Trophy team. “It’s better to be a young coach these days. The young players don’t relate to older people. A lot of these guys need to be given their space. It’s important to understand their lifestyle and know when to nudge them and when not to,” says the 40-year-old.
His coaching style differs for different players. “Some just need space and some need to be put in their place,” he laughs.
His job also includes instilling confidence in upcoming players, who are skilled but lack confidence, and dealing with a few senior players who may have a bit of ego. Having said that, he believes it’s an advantage to have senior players, who are in their 30s in the team.
“This year, the seniors won us the finals. We needed 50 runs in four overs and R Satheesh (36) and Vasanth Saravanan (38) won it in three overs. When a young player is batting at one end, it’s always good for him to have an experienced older player at the other end; it helps him snap out of his nervousness,” says Badani.
Other than Chennai, the matches took place in Tirunelveli and Dindigul, and had a battalion of fans thronging the stadiums. For the smaller towns, it was like a carnival, with cheerleaders, music, memorabilia, and food stalls. “More than autographs, it’s selfies that the fans want these days,” Badani smiles.
Badani’s son also plays a bit of cricket. Has he tried teaching him the nuances of the sport? “Yes, I did, and there was a war. I told him he’s laid-back. I made him work hard and he protested saying his coach didn’t ask him to do that,” laughs the former cricketer, who enjoys a game of badminton every other day.
He’s enjoying his days off for now, and from September 17, it’s work again, as he starts commentary with Star Sports for the India-Australia series, followed by the series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. So, for Badani, there really is no escaping the game.
