BARRY RICHARDS' technical perfection, in batting, is still spoken of. Barry, as he is fondly known, has proved his mettle in the hard grind of English county and the one-day game, as well as in the demanding Sheffield Shield in Australia, where he once got a triple hundred in a day for South Australia. A feat which is rare and enviable at any level of cricket. His long experience in the first class game, his brief appearance in Tests for South Africa and his association with Kerry Packer's Super Tests are priceless, when it comes to knowledge and experience of his trade.
The fact that he has found a place in Sir Don Bradman's all-time World X1 makes him more admirable among the current Test players. He is a man of stature and worth listening to. That's the type of person the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has turned to, to enhance the country's cricket reputation with an eye on the World Cup in 2003 in Barry's own backyard.
Barry has chosen to put it mildly, "Sri Lanka needs no huge improvement." While this statement might sound good to hear, there is little doubt that it takes a lot of hard work and new thinking to win a World Cup. In short you need to do extraordinary things consistently to win events such as the World Cup. In fact, to me, to maintain a one hundred per cent winning performance is no easy task and needs a super human effort. In 1996, Sri Lanka not only was consistent in their winning ways, but also added a new dimension to one-day cricket with their explosive style of stroke play in the first 15 overs. However, this was in 1996. It is five years ago and surely bowlers around the world have already developed methods of combating this strategy. It is now up to the Sri Lankans to come out with something new and surely Barry Richards can provide a tip or two in that direction. There is no question whatsoever that Dav Whatmore is the supreme, the coach and the motivator, but Dav's greatest strength is that he is one who is always prepared to seek advice and look at all possible angles. This is key to good management.
To begin with Richards is of the view that it is a fallacy to assume that all South African pitches are hard and fast. "The Wanderers, The Centurion and Kingsmead are the real quick ones, while the others are generally easier to cope with. The Sri Lankans, as a team, are good players with their experience of playing cricket in all parts of the World. So I personally don't think the bounce and pace will be a problem that the Lankans cannot overcome. There are areas that have to be given thought and one major one is that introduction of one bouncer per over which will need some adjustment in shot selection and the mind set. What is however important at this stage is to start believing in themselves and the game positively." Certainly very logical words from a person who has made his cricket look simple, and what Barry Richards should try to achieve with the Sri Lankans is to find the pit holes. Barry Richards' presence and his Australian experience should also see novelty in his coaching methods, not that the current Sri Lankan coach Dav Whatmore is ignorant of these, but the fact that a specialist batting coach is available to assist a technical sphere, which could be both sensitive and complicated, is always welcome. I say sensitive because some of the players may be reluctant to accept modification to their batting.
It could be complicated if it is not properly handled or directed. Having said that, if a coach is able to earn the respect of the players, then his task is made that much easier, and with Barry's credentials, there will be very few who would not want to listen to him. The difference between the one-day teams at the top being marginal, specialisation in even trivial looking area will help to clinch the issue in a team's favour and that is where a man like Barry could help. Barry is well aware of the age-old mistake many coaches get trapped into. That is imposing one's views on his pupil. His style, like his batting, has been quite flexible. The suggestions are made according to the cause and effect approach. It is of great importance that the Sri Lankan cricketers attempt to make capital use of him, as to me Barry Richards is an institution in batting.
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