NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Sandeep Patil praised John Wright , highlighting his impact as India’s head coach. Patil described Wright as an ideal coach, known for giving players the freedom to play their natural game, which helped boost team morale and confidence.
Unlike Greg Chappell and Anil Kumble , who were more rigid in their approach, Wright encouraged open communication and built trust within the squad.
Patil believes that Wright's ability to foster a supportive environment allowed players like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to thrive under minimal pressure, making him a standout coach in India’s cricket history.
In his autobiography, Beyond Boundaries, launched on Wednesday in Mumbai, Patil reflected on Wright's success as India’s head coach, contrasting it with the approaches of Chappell and Kumble.
Unlike Chappell’s more confrontational style, which strained relations with senior players, Wright built trust through open dialogue and support, helping players perform without fear.
Patil, the then India A coach, also shared his insider perspective from attending board and selection meetings during the Chappell era, offering unique insights into this challenging period in Indian cricket.
"Since 2000, India have had an array of international coaches and support staff. This has paid rich dividends, because India's overseas record has improved steadily. It all started with John Wright becoming India's first foreign coach.
"I think John was the ideal coach for India. He was soft spoken, polite, well-mannered, always kept to himself, and was happy to be in Sourav Ganguly's shadow.
"In addition to all that, he kept a distance from the Press. He managed that so well that he was hardly in the news - unlike what happened in the Greg Chappell years," Patil wrote in his book.
"With Chappell, he was in the news every day. It is very important for a coach to first understand the policy of that particular board, the thinking of the board members, and the President. He should have a good rapport with the President and the Secretary, and of course the captain and the team. John did that wonderfully."
Patil noticed that for Wright, every player was treated equally, with the team always taking priority.
"...during his tenure, there was no 'seniors' and juniors' business. It was one team. He believed all seniors were leaders in some way, He gave them respect, and a free hand, which l feel Anil Kumble didn't do. Greg Chappell too," he wrote.
The former India coach believed that Chappell's aggressive approach was not well-suited to the atmosphere of the Indian dressing room.
"Greg is a very strong personality; very aggressive. The moment Jagmohan Dalmiya said you have a free hand, he thought that he can change everything overnight. John waited, and learnt the system. Greg wanted to change the entire system, the entire thinking, and the selection process," Patil elaborated.
"He introduced flexibility in the Indian team, and he spoiled things for Rahul Dravid, who took over from Ganguly as captain. Irfan (Pathan) was asked to move up the order. Seniors don't like to change numbers, whether it is Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid, or Virender Sehwag.
"The other issue in the Greg Chappell saga was the presence of Ian Fraser as Assistant Coach. Most players didn't like his presence."
Patil remarked that Chappell was eager to impose Australian culture onto the Indian system.
"Greg wanted to introduce Australian culture, the Australian way of playing cricket, and the Australian way of thinking. He could've done it, but he didn't bide his time. That's where I think the rift started, and he was against a few seniors who were not toeing the line.
"Sourav is not a guy who will get up and start running and doing stretches. You need to give him time. I think Greg rubbed seniors the wrong way, though a few seniors didn't speak openly about him - some like Kumble still haven't. It's the same with Dravid. Ironically, Ganguly got him in, but was instrumental in his exit," he wrote.
Patil believed that Gary Kirsten became the most successful Indian coach due to his strong bond with the players.
"Gary Kirsten was very successful - you could say most successful, because his squad won the 2011 World Cup. Gary, again, was well-respected and soft-spoken. He had played against the same players and got runs. This counts, in a way.
"Having played in India, he knew what to expect. He also stayed away from the Press, and gave all his 24 hours to the team," he wrote.
Unlike Greg Chappell and Anil Kumble , who were more rigid in their approach, Wright encouraged open communication and built trust within the squad.
Patil believes that Wright's ability to foster a supportive environment allowed players like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to thrive under minimal pressure, making him a standout coach in India’s cricket history.
In his autobiography, Beyond Boundaries, launched on Wednesday in Mumbai, Patil reflected on Wright's success as India’s head coach, contrasting it with the approaches of Chappell and Kumble.
Unlike Chappell’s more confrontational style, which strained relations with senior players, Wright built trust through open dialogue and support, helping players perform without fear.
Patil, the then India A coach, also shared his insider perspective from attending board and selection meetings during the Chappell era, offering unique insights into this challenging period in Indian cricket.
"Since 2000, India have had an array of international coaches and support staff. This has paid rich dividends, because India's overseas record has improved steadily. It all started with John Wright becoming India's first foreign coach.
"I think John was the ideal coach for India. He was soft spoken, polite, well-mannered, always kept to himself, and was happy to be in Sourav Ganguly's shadow.
"In addition to all that, he kept a distance from the Press. He managed that so well that he was hardly in the news - unlike what happened in the Greg Chappell years," Patil wrote in his book.
"With Chappell, he was in the news every day. It is very important for a coach to first understand the policy of that particular board, the thinking of the board members, and the President. He should have a good rapport with the President and the Secretary, and of course the captain and the team. John did that wonderfully."
Patil noticed that for Wright, every player was treated equally, with the team always taking priority.
"...during his tenure, there was no 'seniors' and juniors' business. It was one team. He believed all seniors were leaders in some way, He gave them respect, and a free hand, which l feel Anil Kumble didn't do. Greg Chappell too," he wrote.
The former India coach believed that Chappell's aggressive approach was not well-suited to the atmosphere of the Indian dressing room.
"Greg is a very strong personality; very aggressive. The moment Jagmohan Dalmiya said you have a free hand, he thought that he can change everything overnight. John waited, and learnt the system. Greg wanted to change the entire system, the entire thinking, and the selection process," Patil elaborated.
"He introduced flexibility in the Indian team, and he spoiled things for Rahul Dravid, who took over from Ganguly as captain. Irfan (Pathan) was asked to move up the order. Seniors don't like to change numbers, whether it is Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid, or Virender Sehwag.
"The other issue in the Greg Chappell saga was the presence of Ian Fraser as Assistant Coach. Most players didn't like his presence."
Patil remarked that Chappell was eager to impose Australian culture onto the Indian system.
"Greg wanted to introduce Australian culture, the Australian way of playing cricket, and the Australian way of thinking. He could've done it, but he didn't bide his time. That's where I think the rift started, and he was against a few seniors who were not toeing the line.
"Sourav is not a guy who will get up and start running and doing stretches. You need to give him time. I think Greg rubbed seniors the wrong way, though a few seniors didn't speak openly about him - some like Kumble still haven't. It's the same with Dravid. Ironically, Ganguly got him in, but was instrumental in his exit," he wrote.
Patil believed that Gary Kirsten became the most successful Indian coach due to his strong bond with the players.
"Gary Kirsten was very successful - you could say most successful, because his squad won the 2011 World Cup. Gary, again, was well-respected and soft-spoken. He had played against the same players and got runs. This counts, in a way.
"Having played in India, he knew what to expect. He also stayed away from the Press, and gave all his 24 hours to the team," he wrote.
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