Rahane, Raina, Uthappa; Pravin Amre, an old school problem solver for all
Pravin Amre, Delhi Daredevils’ batting consultant, is earning a name for himself as personal batting coach to many Indian players like Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane and Robin Uthappa. The man who is expected to join the national team’s coaching staff speaks to The Indian Express on his coaching philosophy, the areas he has worked on with some of the batsmen and how it’s important not to drastically change the innate style of any batsman.
Everyone including Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Naman Ojha come to you for batting help. How do you go about assessing and solving?
When somebody comes to me, it is definitely because he has some technical fault. I have to see that their current game doesn’t get disturbed because it is also related to confidence. We also work on the course corrections in between the cricket season.
Everyone has a different problem. So we have to talk to them first and show them their videos and convince them that we need to work on these areas. And preparing a player mentally for change is very important; they shouldn’t just do because I am saying it. And yes it takes a lot of time to correct that because the fact is that a player has been playing like that for 15 years and changing it immediately is not easy. It’s a gradual process.
How Important is technique for a batsman? Does it help in adjusting to three formats?
It is a very important aspect of batting. I believe that cricket is a blend of mental toughness, physical fitness and a sound technique. Good technique definitely helps in adapting to formats. The biggest example is Rahane who made his way into the Indian team through T20 and now is a specialist Test batsman.
What did you work on with Rahane ?
We worked on his stance, keeping in mind what suits him as well. So we worked on his basics. It generally takes a lot of time and players have to really work hard when I advice some correction. You need continuous practice to make sure that it is part of your system. Undoing what you have been doing for the last 15 years takes some time and hard work.
Raina had a short ball problem. What did you work on him.
I worked on his footwork and positioning of the back foot. So he wasn’t able to position himself correctly and I worked on the correct positioning.
What about Naman Ojha?
I worked on three things, which is downswing, meaning when the bat meets the ball, his positioning and shoulder positioning. These things might sound small but it takes sometimes 3-4 months to correct these. And then to make sure that it starts coming naturally in match situation.
Someone like Robin Uthappa seems to have problems again with his batting. What is your role once players are back to playing in the season? Are you also helping them all during IPL
So firstly I generally tell them what problem they are facing. If the problem still persists then we are constantly monitoring them and it is easier these days to find your videos immediately so I watch their videos and let them know the cure. Yes even in IPL, we keep meeting and I keep talking to them, take sessions and try to help them.
Does a youngster like Sarfaraz Khan, who is playing T20, have it in him to make it big?
I think it depends from player to player. Ravindra jadeja too came through t20 and later played for india too, so as a player builds in confidence, he keeps developing into a mature cricketer. And as coaches we have to keep patient sometimes.
What is your schedule with the players you coach?
Till the time there problem doesn’t get solved we have to stick to them. It takes a year sometimes too. There is no set time frame. So if quality work is your aim then you can’t set a time frame. I think hardwork for any player is a must and second most important thing is the players’ trust.
You need to tailor advice based on individual’s strengths?
Yes. For example if you are playing a express fast bowlers it is important that you have initial movement of back and across. But some batsmen go on the front foot like Ajinkya Rahane. So I give them the independence to decide what suits them, where they feel good at. SO that is the focus in rectification. So when you are ready to face the ball, what position suits you.
Someone like Shreyas Iyer has an open chested stance, predominant on leg side.
Definitely it can be worked out. It’s just a start for Iyer. This year he has played first class, IPL and I believe this year is to do with a lot of learning. But one positive thing that I like about him is that he is playing very confidently. And confidence is a big thing for a batsmen. And that can make you into a big player and that is something I can say about Steven Smith. His confidence is why he is a big player. And as a coach I make sure that we don’t confuse them in the aspects of physical, mental or technical and instead motivate them and tell to keep working on weaknesses. And when it comes to Iyer, I am letting him enjoy his cricket. For a batsman it is very important to enjoy his batting. Over thinking brings negativity and that loses confidence. T20 is all about confidence. He is making runs with whatever technique and is enjoying. Rest he will himself come to know with experience if he has some weakness. That we can correct in the off-season.
