Excited to be a part of the Steve Smith era: Sridharan Sriram

How did the Australia Test role come about?
It happened because I worked with the Australia 'A' team during their tour to Chennai (July-August 2015). Initially, I worked with their National Cricket Centre (NCC) team when they came to MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai (June). It so happened that the Australia 'A' team was coming to Chennai and Troy Cooley, the head coach of NCC, asked if I can help out the Australia 'A' team also. When the 'A' team came here, I gelled well with the players and the coaching staff. The results were also going well for them. An Australian side has never won a Test series in India for a long time. They beat India 'A', which had quality spinners in Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha. Virat Kohli played in the second 'Test'. The Australians had the confidence that they could beat a quality Indian side. That's how it happened. Cooley was appointed the bowling coach for the One-day series against England, and both Darren Lehmann (head coach of Australian team) and Cooley got in touch with me from England and asked if I was available for the Test series against Bangladesh.

What difference do you think you have made to the Aussies?
To be honest, it is just the one-percenters that they talk about. They also know the conditions here, they also know how to play spin. And, when it comes from someone who is home grown, who is born and bred in India and has played a lot of cricket in the sub-continent, it acts as a reiteration for them. They are more confident to go and execute their skills. The doubts in their minds go away. They are able to conquer the doubts of playing in the sub-continent. Sometimes, all I have to say is 'what you are doing is right'. That is good enough for them to go and express themselves without any inhibition. We spoke about different angles of release for different spinners, how the wickets behave, tighten their defence against spin, get more confidence in their defence against spin. Once they get the confidence to defend – they are naturally aggressive players – their natural instincts take over, and they make the right attacking option.

What did Lehmann talk to you as this is the start of the Steve Smith era?
I have exchanged a few e-mails with him. Basically, he wants me to give an insight into how Bangladesh play and how the conditions in Bangladesh are going to be, what strategies we could adopt, what they did during the 'A' series and what worked for the batsmen and the spinners, the pace at which to bowl, the length to bowl, the fields to set, the mind-set of the Asian batsmen, where they attack spin. These are the kinds of inputs he expects. They have seen a formula which worked in the 'A' series and hopefully they are looking to make a continuation of that.

As an Indian, did it feel strange helping an Australian side winning against India in your home city?
Cricket is a team sport. Definitely, I'd love to be a part of an Indian side. To me, the team comes first. Whichever team I belong to, I am professional that way. Trevor Bayliss won the Ashes for England, he is an Australian. From a support staff point of view, we have minimum role to play. It is the players who go out and perform. I cannot take credit. It so happened that Australia won that series. At the end of the day, they are happy with the result they achieved.

Did you always want to coach after you stopped playing?
It was a natural progression. I did my coaching qualification in England. I did it because I needed a work permit there. The club I was playing for forced me to do Level 2 and Level 3 coaching with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) because it is easy for the club to procure a work permit if you have a coaching badge. It was in 2007-08 when I was still playing. I got my coaching badge. I was always coaching at the grassroots level in England. I did one year of coaching in New Zealand (2009) while playing there. I have done a bit of work in Holland also. I was doing a bit of coaching while I was playing as a professional. When I stopped playing, I coached the Tamil Nadu 'A' side. I got an opportunity to work for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. It was fantastic. You get to meet people from different cultures, different backgrounds and different cricketing schools. So, you get to learn so much from them just by observing what they do and how different they are. It was a great learning curve, especially working with Gary Kirsten (DD chief coach) and TA Sekar (mentor).

What do you think are the right attributes of a good coach?
First thing is possessing domain knowledge. You have to have strong technical expertise and tactical awareness. Playing at a higher level also helps you to understand mentally what the players are going through and what the requirements are to succeed at that level. You need a good feel for people. What matters is how you can be of help to the person you are coaching. So, it is him. You have to put him in front and you remain in the background and see what you can do to help him achieve what he can or what he wants. It is a combination of domain expertise and soft skills. You have to be able to communicate very well. Listening is also a great part of communication.

You have been appointed as consultant for one series. Mahela Jayawardene is on a similar role for England's tour of UAE (against Pakistan) next month. We saw Muttiah Muralitharan perform a similar role for Australia on their tour of UAE last year. Is the consultant role the way forward?
I don't have any idea. It is the first time for me. I can vouch for Australia. They want to win in the sub-continent. They want to win away from home. That is a huge goal they have set. They are doing whatever they can to achieve their goal. Playing spin is an art in India and the sub-continent, how to play spin, how to use your hands, how to stay low, manoeuvring the ball for singles, having attacking options, it is an art by itself. Batting against spin in India requires a different set of skills. The best thing about the Aussies is that they are willing to learn. Teams are able to win in their own countries but are not able to taste success outside. As a coaching staff team today, you have the flexibility to take support from other people.

You have been a follower of Sri Sri Ravishankar. How did it happen and how has it helped you in your cricket?
I have been with guruji from 2000. I meditate daily for 20 minutes each in the morning and evening. That is part of my life and has made huge difference to my soft skills. My communication has improved and so has my feel for people. Meditation helps me to adapt to any new environment very well. It has played a huge role in my development as an individual. It is very important for sportspersons to meditate and do yoga. It has already started. A lot of people use meditation as a tool to improve performance.

Are there instances where you have felt meditation has helped you handle similar situations differently?
Earlier, I was very obsessed with cricket. To me, what I did on the field was everything. After learning to meditate, I've learnt to switch off a little more. I began to realise there is a lot more to life outside the game which I missed out enjoying earlier. You start appreciating your family and friends a lot more. Today, I can handle both success and failure with an equanimous state of mind. I can compartmentalise my life a lot better now than before.

Did the Australians also show interest in meditation?
They are open to this idea. I have not spoken too much about it with them as I did not have the time. During IPL, I spoke about it with Marcus Stoinis. He was very interested and has learnt meditation.

Are you nervous at the prospect of being part of the beginning of the Steve Smith era?
Actually, I'm very excited to be a part of this as there is a bit of continuity for me and the players I've worked with. There is a bit of a relationship, which is good going forward. There is a bit of understanding as well. Australians are very process-driven. All I need to do is to focus on keeping my processes right, update my knowledge, keep passing on the right information. One of my strengths is to work hard, be it helping out in fielding, throw-downs, helping players with practice during lunch time, etc.

Have you had a chance to talk to captain Smith?
We have exchanged a couple of e-mails. He seems to be very open. He appreciated me for some information I gave him. He said he is very keen to meet me. I am also keen to meet him as I have not met him before. He is open to having cricket discussions.

KNOW SRIRAM
Born: February 21, 1976 in Chennai
Playing role: Left-handed middle-order batsman; left-arm spinner
Played 8 ODIs for India between March 2000 and December 2004, scored 81 runs with 57 against Bangladesh as highest. Also took nine wickets
Played 133 first-class matches (1993-94 to 2011-12), scored 9,539 runs at 52.99 with 32 hundreds and 36 fifties and a highest of 288. Also took 85 wickets
In 147 List A matches (1993-94 to 2011-12), scored 4,169 runs at 33.62 with 4 hundreds and 26 fifties with 148* as highest. Also took 115 wickets
Has played league cricket in Bangladesh, played as a pro for Scotland in 2004
Obtained Level 2 and Level 3 coaching certificates from English and Wales Cricket Board; Has coaching experience with Delhi Daredevils and in England, New Zealand and Holland
Helped Australia 'A' against India 'A' in Chennai in July-August