Manabendra Ghosh: From coach to mentor

Turning on to Kolkata's Belgachia, the first thing that sinks in is the lull. The only sound that seems to shatter its quiet is the thud of ball against bat. At a corner of a vast stretch of ground, a familiar face is beavering away with his boys, correcting somebody's follow-through, checking a back lift.

He is Manoj Tiwary's coach, Manabendra Ghosh, adored in cricketing circles as Manab-da.

Ghosh does not run an academy. In fact the narrow plots that he uses at Belgachia and Dalhousie Club hardly qualify as proper practice facilities. At Belgachia the nets are old, ragged. A pacer runs in hard on the unkempt soil, stumbles, and is asked to stop. But it's unmistakable, the intensity of the sessions.

Many of his boys can't even afford the cost of travel. Doesn't matter. If you have the skills you have won him over.

Curiously, Ghosh is not a level three coach. He had taken to coaching fuelled by the urge to stay close to the game. His wisdom flows from years of study, observation and shaping raw talents. His reading and understanding of Indian philosophy have seasoned him well in building mental faculties.

An executive with Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd., Ghosh is also a devout reader of Frank Tyson. He can engage your attention for hours together discussing the subtleties of technique.

"Cricket is seemingly simple, but when you think of its scientific aspects the game can be so complexly interesting," Ghosh says.

Yet, as coach, Ghosh is far from a rigid purist. In fact his modern outlook towards the game is evident at the nets. A young batsman is stepping out, shuffling across occasionally, repeatedly unsettling the bowlers. All the while his bat is ramrod straight. It's the typical Manoj Tiwary brand of cricket: aggressive, orthodox and innovative.

"I don't believe in tinkering with a quality that is natural or God-sent," Ghosh explains. "I have no issues if one has a slightly unconventional grip so long as he is able to hit the ball along the ground or execute attacking but correct shots. If he is able to do it his way, fine. If not then I intervene."

"A coach cannot soft-pedal the grammar of cricket," he insists. "Stance, grip and back lift are the fundamentals that have to be perfected at a pliable age. The basics ought to be inculcated before a player is 17. If his foundation is fragile, it could show up glaringly at the international level."