Allan Donald, who was unsparing as a fast bowler, making the best of batsmen hop and duck around, sometimes even on placid pitches, was candid in observing that too much cricket was being played now.
Donald, the head coach of Pune Warriors, said it was certainly impacting the span of a cricketer.
“I think the volume of cricket being played now is absolutely outrageous. Simply, I know from a South African point of view, we can’t afford to play Dale Steyn in all three forms of the game or Morne Morkel. I think it is time now to blood some young guys.”
Frustrating
Speaking ahead of the IPL match against Rajasthan Royals here, Donald admitted that it does get frustrating.
“That’s the painstaking thing of being a coach. You can do all the talking in the change room, strategising, you can prepare the player for his best as possible, to set him up for success as possible.
“But, once they are out there they make their own calls, they actually are captaining themselves. They become responsible for what they do out there. So I am at peace with that.”
Precise and calm
How does he tackle his job? “I really don’t get over excited with what happens there. I just mumble to myself once or twice but that’s the frustration of being a coach.
“The skill of handling that and referring it back to the player in a very nice, precise and calm manner is the art of coaching. That is what I am finding out at the moment.”