Thank heavens, Achrekar didn't change Tendulkar's 'faulty' g
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:33 pm
Thank heavens, Achrekar didn't change Tendulkar's 'faulty' grip
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Sachin India's God pays homage to his Coach Ramakant Achrekar
In the late 50s when he played for State Bank of India, many kids would tag along with their fathers or uncles to watch the game. Kids waited for the match to get over so that they could rush to the ground and play with Achrekar with a plastic bat and plastic ball. He genuinely loved kids.
While visiting his coaching centre, one realised he spent more time with kids off the field. But his eyes were always searching for talent. His idea of moulding them was by making them bat or bowl more. If a player continued to make simple mistakes he would get spanked. No kid ever complained about it because he knew that Achrekar did it because he cared.
After Tendulkar's maiden first-class hundred, there were many who said he will be sorted out because of his faulty grip, but with the same grip he scored more than 50,000 runs. They were extremely critical of Achrekar's methods, but he never reacted.
Achrekar believed in listening more than speaking and reading more than rectifying. He read the ability of his players diligently. Knowing their limitations, he would create situations in friendly matches and see how they adapted to them.
He was open to discussing technical issues with other coaches. Unlike others who criticized foreign coaches, he would enjoy discussing cricket with Frank Tyson under whom the BCA-Mafatlal scheme boys trained. Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who was one of his trainees, says, "He would tell me to develop inswingers and give me space to work on it. He had an eye for talent and once he saw that spark, he would give you a lot of opportunities. Boys were never put under pressure".
Image of
Sachin and Achrekar
A decade ago Amol Muzumdar found himself failing miserably in the Ranji season. To find a solution, he remembered what Achrekar regularly said: 'Batting is nothing but concentration'. The next season, Muzumdar emerged as the highest run-getter for Mumbai. Achrekar was similar to Srinath's mentor, Subramanian. But Achrekar had too many kids to tackle. Pravin Amre says he did not just take cricketing decisions, but even guided his family. Achrekar became much more than a coach to the players. He was a godfather, someone to look up to when one is down.
TofI
Image of
Sachin India's God pays homage to his Coach Ramakant Achrekar
We have too many rectifiers and no lovers of the game. But Ramakant Achrekar was a passionate lover of cricket who allowed kids to blossom without interference. His aim was to give them many opportunities.A gentleman from Mysore CS Subramanian would pick collegian Javagal Srinath on his scooter everyday to take him to his coaching centre. More than any other coach, it was Subramanian who made Srinath the bowler he was. He made him believe in himself. No wonder Srinath once said we need more mentors and less coaches.
In the late 50s when he played for State Bank of India, many kids would tag along with their fathers or uncles to watch the game. Kids waited for the match to get over so that they could rush to the ground and play with Achrekar with a plastic bat and plastic ball. He genuinely loved kids.
While visiting his coaching centre, one realised he spent more time with kids off the field. But his eyes were always searching for talent. His idea of moulding them was by making them bat or bowl more. If a player continued to make simple mistakes he would get spanked. No kid ever complained about it because he knew that Achrekar did it because he cared.
His maxim was simple: Never touch the natural ability of a player. His mantra was to allow players to fend for themselves and only guide them. He noticed the grip that Tendulkar possessed as a young child. It wasn't ideal, but Achrekar didn't change it. He just made him play many matches so that Tendulkar could learn to adapt to different conditions.
After Tendulkar's maiden first-class hundred, there were many who said he will be sorted out because of his faulty grip, but with the same grip he scored more than 50,000 runs. They were extremely critical of Achrekar's methods, but he never reacted.
Achrekar believed in listening more than speaking and reading more than rectifying. He read the ability of his players diligently. Knowing their limitations, he would create situations in friendly matches and see how they adapted to them.
.He would say, "A player's competitor is he himself. Why bother about others? The job of a coach is to prepare him for tough matches. The more you play in tougher conditions, the better you can handle situations. Enjoy the game and you have better chances of performing consistently"
He was open to discussing technical issues with other coaches. Unlike others who criticized foreign coaches, he would enjoy discussing cricket with Frank Tyson under whom the BCA-Mafatlal scheme boys trained. Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who was one of his trainees, says, "He would tell me to develop inswingers and give me space to work on it. He had an eye for talent and once he saw that spark, he would give you a lot of opportunities. Boys were never put under pressure".
Image of
Sachin and Achrekar
A decade ago Amol Muzumdar found himself failing miserably in the Ranji season. To find a solution, he remembered what Achrekar regularly said: 'Batting is nothing but concentration'. The next season, Muzumdar emerged as the highest run-getter for Mumbai. Achrekar was similar to Srinath's mentor, Subramanian. But Achrekar had too many kids to tackle. Pravin Amre says he did not just take cricketing decisions, but even guided his family. Achrekar became much more than a coach to the players. He was a godfather, someone to look up to when one is down.
TofI
