India's coaching staff (Fletcher/Simmons) - Should they go?

[SaiSrini]

Everyone's favorite topic is about the Indian senior trio - VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. The next favorite topic is MS Dhoni's captaincy, followed by Sehwag, Gambhir and the bowlers. But no one seems to be pointing a finger at the coaching staff behind the team, namely Duncan Fletcher and Eric Simmons. I have been repeatedly trying to talk about it, but seems like no one else wants to pull up Fletcher and blame him. A coach can have a major influence on the environment within the team, and a coach can certainly influence the way the team plays.

Fletcher's last tour as coach to Australia before this horror series (that concluded recently) was with England for the Ashes in 2006-07. And he came back whitewashed. He then has been whitewashed two more times after that, with India whitewashed by England and by Australia now. In between under his coaching, India have failed to win comprehensively against a weak West Indies team both in West Indies and at home. Sample this against India's previous coach Kirsten, under whom recently India fought back hard and drew a series in South Africa. Fletcher enters the Indian setup, and everything goes rapidly downhill to the point where we are lost for answers and the problems keep compounding.

Regarding Eric Simmons, under him Indian bowling has not shown any signs of improvement. We continue to stray in line and length, we either bowl too short or too full, etc. For long, bowling has been India's perennial problem (the batting has surged forward in problems recently) but I have a feeling that Eric Simmons is a waste of time having as a bowling coach. We need a more assertive bowling coach who can impose himself onto the bowlers better and extract better work out of them.

In my opinion, both Fletcher and Simmons should go as a result of these two disastrous whitewashes and India must find a reliable coach and bowling coach immediately. Some suggestions would be having Shaun Pollock as the bowling coach, and Tom Moody (or) Stephen Fleming as the head coach.

 

[takeezheedoff]

yeah blame the coaches - how predictable

Dumping the coaches avoids the facts. A load of old hasbeens running the show like their own private fiefdom.

Who would want to go and coach the prima donna's?

Ok money talks but aint that the basic problem with the game in India?

 

[SaiSrini]

Dumping the coaches avoids the facts. A load of old hasbeens running the show like their own private fiefdom.

Who would want to go and coach the prima donna's?

Ok money talks but aint that the basic problem with the game in India?

How did Kirsten get the prima donna's to perform? Our last overseas tour to SA )(before Fletcher's entry) ended up in a 1-1 draw. Basically, the three seniors became prima donnas in a matter of 3-4 months? Did they age rapidly in those months? I am blaming everybody, but I am also blaming the coach.

It was first of all a very hasty decision by the BCCI to select Fletcher. For many an Indian fan, it came out of the blue when they selected Fletcher. They should gone about it in a much more professional manner.

 

[Atharv]

Everyone's favorite topic is about the Indian senior trio - VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. The next favorite topic is MS Dhoni's captaincy, followed by Sehwag, Gambhir and the bowlers. But no one seems to be pointing a finger at the coaching staff behind the team, namely Duncan Fletcher and Eric Simmons. I have been repeatedly trying to talk about it, but seems like no one else wants to pull up Fletcher and blame him. A coach can have a major influence on the environment within the team, and a coach can certainly influence the way the team plays.

Fletcher's last tour as coach to Australia before this horror series (that concluded recently) was with England for the Ashes in 2006-07. And he came back whitewashed. He then has been whitewashed two more times after that, with India whitewashed by England and by Australia now. In between under his coaching, India have failed to win comprehensively against a weak West Indies team both in West Indies and at home. Sample this against India's previous coach Kirsten, under whom recently India fought back hard and drew a series in South Africa. Fletcher enters the Indian setup, and everything goes rapidly downhill to the point where we are lost for answers and the problems keep compounding.

Regarding Eric Simmons, under him Indian bowling has not shown any signs of improvement. We continue to stray in line and length, we either bowl too short or too full, etc. For long, bowling has been India's perennial problem (the batting has surged forward in problems recently) but I have a feeling that Eric Simmons is a waste of time having as a bowling coach. We need a more assertive bowling coach who can impose himself onto the bowlers better and extract better work out of them.

In my opinion, both Fletcher and Simmons should go as a result of these two disastrous whitewashes and India must find a reliable coach and bowling coach immediately. Some suggestions would be having Shaun Pollock as the bowling coach, and Tom Moody (or) Stephen Fleming as the head coach.

Hmmm . I do not really understand why Eric Simmons is being persisted with . He should be replaced with somebody who can make some difference to the Indian bowling unit . But no Venkatesh Prasad please.

I guess BCCI will persist with fletcher because rarely does BCCI admits its mistakes and Fletcher was a bit of a mistake.

 

[swacker]

Main reason seems to be that no matter who the coach, the system there is so intransigent and laced with self serving that the coach hasn't a plea of making changes need to improve the team long term.

 

[Atharv]

Main reason seems to be that no matter who the coach, the system there is so intransigent and laced with self serving that the coach hasn't a plea of making changes need to improve the team long term.

I don't know how, But Kirsten was hugely successful in getting good performance from Indian players.So was John Wright . But Greg Chappell failed.
There is a marked difference in the coaching approach of overseas players who have been successful(Kirsten and Wright) and who have failed(Chappell) .
It appears that Fletcher seems to fall in the successful category as far as coaching approach is concerned.

Same players,different coach. Fletcher seems to have missed something .

 

[SaiSrini]

Main reason seems to be that no matter who the coach, the system there is so intransigent and laced with self serving that the coach hasn't a plea of making changes need to improve the team long term.

But there have been coaches before for us who have worked wonders for us despite the system (e.g. John Wright, Gary Kirsten). Fletcher seems to be of the kind of Greg Chappell (only thing is he is not as controversial).

 

[icyman]

I agree with the fact that Duncan Fletcher's selection as head coach was totally out of the blue. Haphazard, unexpected, took many an Indian fan by surprise.
For such a famed batting line-up, you don't really need a supposedly tactical Fletcher to work out things[now it seems ,they do].

However, the point is Duncan is way past his prime and his age speaks for itself. His results with this team have not been great and either was I a great fan of his coaching when he was in charge of England.

A better choice would have been to get in someone younger- maybe Stephen
Fleming or Shaun Pollock. A better hunt should have been conducted for the next coach which was lacking this time round.

Eric Simons on the other hand-I must ask, what are his credentials ? Has he played a Test match ? Without even having bowled at the highest level ,how can the BCCI entrust him with the bowling coach's job ? Bruce Reid was once upon a time a consultant to the Indian team. Wasim Akram could be employed. Take Allan Donald. There is no dearth of genuine quicks who can be bought by the BCCI.

 

[SaiSrini]

Even Amitabh Bachchan (Bollywood legendary actor) says on Twitter that no one has been questioning the coach after these two consecutive whitewashes overseas. If there is some problem between players, the coach keeps a tab on them. The coach handles the environment and peps up the players and changes the way they approach a new game, etc. Seeing the way India looked on the field during the tests, it seemed clear that there was nothing that Fletcher could do to pep up or change the proceedings. India looked deflated and as Australia piled on the pressure, India fell away so rapidly like they have never ever done before.

Fletcher and Simmons need to go. The sooner they go, the better for India.

 

[AbhishekS]

Even Amitabh Bachchan (Bollywood legendary actor) says on Twitter

But he is not a cricket expert, hardly anybody would take his views seriously!

Fletcher and Simmons need to go. The sooner they go, the better for India.

And you want Fleming in, right?

 

[SaiSrini]

And you want Fleming in, right?

Fleming or Moody, I did say! Well, anyone but Fletcher. Fleming was good with Chennai Super Kings and had a good working relationship with Dhoni. Moody has coached Sri Lanka to success before. Hope BCCI can sack Fletcher and try to get any of these two.

 

[AbhishekS]

I would prefer an Indian coach tbh.

 

[Sedition]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Virat Kohli.

 

[icyman]

Everyone expected Stephen Fleming to take up the job after Kirsten. It does remain to be seen if he is interested in that position.
I really would not mind an Indian coach. In case of an Indian choice, it has to be Sandip Patil, the guy who led Kenya to their semi-finals in the ICC World Cup 0f 2003.

 

[sami ullah khan]

Get Sachin to retire and hire him as coach.