India's triumph at the U-19 World Cup has made names like Unmukt Chand, Baba Aparajith and Harmeet Singh a part of every household. What has however, escaped notice, is that a dedicated support staff has been working rigorously with these set of players for the past one year. This team was led by a burly former Tamil Nadu and India all-rounder, Bharat Arun, the coach of the World Cup winning side.
India has had a history of successful coaches like John Wright and Gary Kirsten who preferred to stay in background, while the players basked in the success. Arun, who is spoken about as the unsung hero of this victory, seems to be of a similar kind. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with him:
What was going through the mind of the support staff and players immediately after the victory in the finals?
Absolute sheer happiness. That's it. It cannot be described in words.
There were a lot of matches which went down to the wire. During which particular match was the atmosphere in the dressing room the most tense?
Undoubtedly the India Pakistan match.
Was it because of the history between the two nations? Or because of the match situation?
The match itself was really exciting. We got them out for just 137 and our last wicket added 12 runs to win the game. It was a close match, could have gone either way. The win from that game gave a much needed boost and fillip to our team.
There was a statistical analysis comparing the 2008 U-19 World Cup winning squad and this team. Lots of similarities were seen, with regards to the composition of the side. Is it something the management has worked towards or did it just happen by chance?
The composition of the team is decided by the captain and the management. The fact that we had Baba Aparajith, a superb batsman who could also bowl his quota of overs economically was a big plus for us. He is a genuine all-rounder. The highlight of this campaign was that the bowling was exceptional and also extremely consistent.
As a coach, what is your role and how do you go about it? Are you overbearing or the friendly, mentor type?
Coach dons a different role at a different time. So you really can't pin-point one particular style. You've got to be friendly sometimes and stern at other times. Different situations demand different roles. You got to be a friend and sometimes you need to be their philosopher.
There is a debate going around regarding Harmeet Singh and Unmukt Chand. Some feel that they should be fast-tracked to the senior squad. As a person who has observed them at close quarters, what's your take on that?
People can say what they like. My opinion is that they have the potential and ability to make it big at the highest level. To succeed at the highest level, they need to work and move up the ladder rather than pushed straightaway to the biggest stage.
How important was the quadrangular series played in Australia, early in the year, helpful in the preparation for the World Cup?
One major reason for us doing well in this World Cup is the excellent planning by the BCCI. Because, the lead-up to the World Cup started with the quadrangular series in India and progressed with the series in Australia and later we played the Asia Cup. The timing of these tourneys was outstanding which helped us realize our strengths and weakness and gave us a chance to do a proper SWOT analysis. We were much better prepared for the World Cup than the other sides.
Your thoughts on the skipper Unmukt Chand?
The captain Unmukt is far more mature beyond his years. Cricket, as you go up the ladder, is more of a mind game. You need to have the talent, but the one who can be level-headed and control his mind will succeed. Belief in your abilities is very important. Unmukt has depicted that the bigger the game, better is his game. 3 finals and 3 centuries and each has been better than the previous, the best being in the biggest stage, the World Cup final. That shows his tremendous mental toughness, which I think is the secret of his success.
India's catching in this tournament was excellent and by far the best. What is the secret behind that?
Of course, the fielding coach R Sridhar, did an exceptional job. We had a tuned all-rounder Baba Aparajith, who is a brilliant catcher and has really soft hands. Akshdeep Nath was another special talent in the field. We had probably one of the best fielding units in the world. A lot of work went into making them the best fielding unit. I think a lot of credit must go to the fielding coach.
Do you leave the on-field decisions to the skipper, or do you perform the role ala a football manager who has a say while the match is going on?
I think Unmukt is a very intelligent kid. I personally believe that the hallmark of a coach is to empower the players and allow them the confidence to take their own decisions on the field. On most occasions he was right. If he felt otherwise and needed some advice, he would send in a message. But those occasions were very few in number. I think Unmukt's captaincy was also brilliant.
What is next for Bharat Arun? What is your next assignment?
I am going to chill for the next 10 days. After that, I rejoin work at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). There is a lot of work to be done at the NCA. We will probably plan something for the junior development program and the U-19 substitute force.
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