India has to play the big moments well, says Robin Singh

Former Indian all-rounder Robin Singh said that the current team is well-balanced, but will need to be careful in the semifinals.

Former Robin Singh has represented India in the 1999 World Cup. (File Photo)

Robin Singh comprehends the sound, fury and the pressures of the World Cup. It’s a slugfest where the protagonists do not hold back their punches. 

And he knows a thing or two about the variable English conditions. Here, fortunes can change quickly. 

The feisty former seam-bowling all-rounder bowled India to victory over Sri Lanka with a destructive five for 31 at Taunton during the 1999 World Cup in England.

And, his combative 75 against Australia at the Oval in the same competition, underlined his spirit.

Ask Robin about India’s chances in the ongoing World Cup in England and he responds, “The team has been playing well, it is balanced. The real test will be in the knock-out games. India has to play the big moments well.”

On the upcoming game against the West Indies on Thursday, Robin, who grew up in the Caribbean before emigrating to India, said, “India has the advantage. West Indies has some exciting young talent but they have not fired together.”

After his playing days, Robin has been a global coach for more than 15 years. He now runs a modern coaching centre in Dubai and plans to expand to the United States where he sees vast potential for cricket.

And Robin has coached in different corners of the world; in the US and Hong Kong as National team coach, in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and many other nations.

“It is a global game now. And the coaching has to focus on different needs in different conditions,” he told Sportstar.

He added, “For the players, it’s all about how you adapt. And you got to be mentally strong, not have the fear of failure. And a coach has to be accountable, have an open mind and focus on long-term success.” 

In an eventful coaching career, Robin was the assistant coach of the Indian team when it triumphed in the Test series in England, 2007, coached the India `A’ and under-19 teams, coached the successful Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League, apart from being the long standing assistant coach in the star-studded Mumbai Indians team. 

The success of the team was based on the number of dependable players it had.

“Many would have been surprised that Lasith Malinga bowled the final over of this year’s IPL final. But we knew we could not get a more dependable player in that situation. Our gut feeling was right,” he said.

Robin is a relentless traveller with a vision and a method for coaching success.