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."
Looking at some of the unique methods that Ghosh uses to train his wards, you understand what he means. For instance, during knock sessions, batsmen are asked to chalk-mark the exact spot where the ball has pitched. Ghosh uses support staff who act like ball-boys in tennis court. The idea is to intensity concentration.
Also, it grounds the boys well in—what Ghosh calls—the five principles of batting: watch the ball, keep the head still, judge the length, go alongside the line of the ball and select the right stroke.
"When a batsman is not getting runs, we detect the fault-lines in these five areas," he says but reminds that in order to travel to the highest level, sportsmen need more than merely strong fundamentals.
Ghosh believes that devotion, finding the right coach and desire are central to a sportsman's life. He cautions that these words should not be used lightly.
He elucidates, "When I talk about a cricketer's devotion, I equate it with earnest love. I compare his intensity to that of a mother's love for her child. Still it may not ensure success.
"Role of a coach (or a guru at a higher level) is significant here. No player can bloom to his full potential without the right guiding hand. Moreover, even the coach's devotion towards the game and his pupil should be as intense for a talent's creation — something that Ramakant Achrekar had in abundance for Sachin Tendulkar.
"Finally it's the cricketer's desire that takes him a step further. Can he practice and train with the same zeal and energy regardless of lack of infrastructure and irrespective of what returns cricket gives him?"
Perhaps it's this quality that has helped Ghosh shrug off the frustrations of not getting adequate infrastructure that is a must to continue this work at a larger scale. Ghosh is determined to persevere nevertheless even as he is waiting for Tiwary's career to flourish.