Coach

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell once said: "An international coach is something the Australian team travels in around England." It is a view that has plenty of subscribers. After all, by the time players reach first-class or certainly international level, surely they shouldn’t need to be told how to play, should they? Which begs the question: what does the coach of an international cricket team actually do and why has the role assumed such importance in the modern game of cricket? In this candid insight from inside the bubble of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup champions, Australia’s head coach Darren Lehmann—also a two-time Cricket World Cup winner as a player—details what his job involves and explains his coaching philosophy, a philosophy fashioned both during his illustrious playing career alongside some of the game’s all-time greats such as Stephen Waugh, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath; and also through two significant and shattering brushes with tragedy—the deaths of his mentor David Hookes and young Australia batsman Phillip Hughes. This book traces Darren’s path to the top coaching job in Australian cricket, delves into the areas of man-management—including getting the best out of so-called maverick players—examines the coach’s pivotal relationship with his captain, dealing with the mental side of the game and the media, and the highs and lows of the role, as well as addressing the issues of pressure, maintaining a team’s hunger, and the part luck plays in success or failure. This is a book that is a must-read for everyone keen to get an insight into how a world-class sporting team ticks.