As the Indian Premier League (IPL) enters its fifth edition, coaches across India are almost unanimous in their viewpoint that for any young player to improve his game, the emphasis has to be on mastering the basics in all formats. They also feel that the under-17 age group should stay away from the T-20 format.
Here a few coaches share their views on the impact of IPL on the youngsters.
Tarak Sinha (Delhi, coach of Ashish Nehra): It is becoming very difficult to persuade youngsters to follow copybook technique and resist the temptations of this T20 game. We have to make extra efforts to emphasise the importance of basics and technique.
Restricting the overdose of T20 cricket at different levels should make our job easier and the emphasis should be more on four-day and two-day games in different age groups.
Dinesh Lad (coach of Rohit Sharma): The T20 format is irresistible as there are so many local tournaments offering lakhs of rupees as prize money now. Naturally, the youngsters prefer them and play unorthodox cricket. Yet, I can't teach them only to hit the ball, basics need to be mastered too.
I tell them about Rohit Sharma who has been successful in all formats because he plays with a straight bat. I always tell them to play straight to become better cricketers.
Vijaya Paul (coach of Pragyan Ojha): I don't think any coach can avoid not discussing T20 format with a young player. Yes, I make it a point to avoid the under-15 age group in this regard. And the T20 format is all about making minor adjustments and taking some risks. I find the bowlers are working a bit longer in the nets as they realise the importance of accuracy.
Manabendra Ghosh (coach of Manoj Tiwary and Arindam Das): I have made a conscious decision, going by the advice of Bishen Singh Bedi, to ensure that the under-17 age group doesn't play the T20 format.
I always tell youngsters that those who play with a horizontal bat cannot be very successful. And, I remind them how Sachin Tendulkar, Shaun Marsh, Jacques Kallis and Michael Hussey are good even in T20 because of their straight bat shots. The only exception is West Indian Chris Gayle. I keep telling the boys that no Indian can match Gayle's power. Even his mistimed strokes often land in the stands!
I always advise the youngsters to stick to the basics and once you get them right, you can play any format with great success. But yes, running between the wickets has improved a lot thanks this slam-bang style of game.
Raje Kane (coach of India under-19 cricketer Vijay Zol): It is difficult to keep the boys away from the T20 format. But, I make it a point to stress on the importance of basics. We find it difficult to get the point across to the youngsters. Only those above 19 should play this format or else their careers will be cut short.
But there are positives in T20 too, for instance the bowlers try to be more intelligent and quicker to react. So, I keep telling the boys to work hard to master the basics. Some get the point easily but for some we have to put in that extra effort.
