A wonderful opportunity: Bharat Arun

August 19, 2014 11:23 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 05:42 pm IST - Chennai:

Bharat Arun

Bharat Arun

It seemed a routine day in office for Bharat Arun. An unexpected phone call from M.V. Sridhar, BCCI’s General Manager, Cricket Operations, changed all that.

Soon, Arun’s mobile was ringing non-stop. And he was rushing to get his visa done in time for his departure to England on Thursday.

In the evening, Arun was at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium complex — he is the Director of coaching at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association’s Academy — striving to get things organised during his absence.

The BCCI’s dramatic announcement in its effort to arrest the Indian team’s alarming slide in the Ol’ Blighty meant Arun was now one of the National side’s two assistant coaches.

The former India Test all-rounder said to The Hindu , “It is a wonderful opportunity. It is also a great challenge. I am looking forward to it.”

Impressive management

The 51-year-old Arun’s record as coach — his man-management has often come in for praise — is impressive. He held the top job in the Tamil Nadu side from 2002 to 2006. “The team reached the Ranji Trophy final twice apart from winning the inter-State all India one-day tournament on two occasions,” said Arun.

After a brief stint with Bengal, Arun moved to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as its Chief bowling coach. Between 2008 and 2010, he guided the India ‘A’ side, which won three quadrangular series titles in Australia during this period.

Then, he was given the responsibility of coaching the India under-19 team. In a tremendous run, the side triumphed in eight successive tournaments including the 2012 World Cup down under — the team’s preparation included a three-day boot camp near Bangalore where diverse methods such as rappelling were used — and two Asia Cups. The winning streak only ended in the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Dubai.

On his outlook to coaching, Arun said to this correspondent some time back, “The coach’s job is to bring balance and stability to a cricketer’s game without changing his natural style. A coach cannot look at the perfect picture, but has to seek a method that would suit a cricketer best.”

Arun added, “Instructing a cricketer to follow a rigid method is limiting his mind and skill. You got to support him to discover himself as a player. Awareness of his own game will give him that clarity of mind.”

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