If only more people paid attention to what people said in the past, and reminded them of those comments when suddenly when it suits they flip to the opposite point of view.
Who can forget Shane Warne’s tempestuous relationship with former Australian Cricket Coach John Buchanan? A coach who between 1999 and 2007 oversaw Australia win 26 Test series, draw two, and lose just two series. IN addition he also saw his team win three consecutive World Cups in One Day Internationals.
“I’m a big believer that the coach is something you travel in to get to the game,” Warne famously said.
In 2014 Warne came out with another gem, “Coaching is for 12-year-olds and not international cricketers.”
In truth when it comes too cricket Warne may well have a point.
Australia’s first ever International Cricket Coach Bobby Simpson appointed in 1986, and it has been said was given the role because at that time Australian cricket lacked a true leader on the pitch, and had gone through a number of captains in a short space of time. Simpson’s appointment was to ease some of the pressure on the captain.So there was a reason behind it.
In 2007 Ian Chappell was quoted as saying in relation to the Australian cricket team’s need for a coach, “The captain is 95 per cent important, the coach is five per cent important.”
So if Shane Warne is of that opinion, why now that he is well into his retirement has he suddenly put his hand up to become the national T20 coach for Cricket Australia? Or does he really want to drive the team bus?
On Wednesday last week Cricket Australia confirmed that the leg-spin great had made contact with Pat Howard, the organisation’s executive general manager of team performance, to inquire about coaching possibilities.
Warne has put up his hand to temporarily fill in for Darren Lehmann for the three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in February. At the moment with Lehmann the national Test coach – provided he still has a job by February – he will be in India preparing the Test team for a series.
Warne has formerly been captain-coach of Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. In 2014 he joined the Australian set-up under Lehmann before, as a consultant on the tour of South Africa in 2014, which preceded the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh, which Australia failed to win.
Should a man who has been so derisory of coaches at International level even be considered for such a role? Why if he is so against coaches at this level would he go after such a role? Surely not vanity, and to ensure that his name stays in the spotlight.
If Cricket Australia had any sense they would have already typed up the letter, thanks, but no thanks.
If you want to be a commentator, be a commentator. If you want to be a coach, dedicate yourself to that career path and concentrate on coaching. Let us not forget that John Buchanan, who Warne was so critical of, served his apprenticeship going to England to coach before returning to coach in the Sheffield Shield. He led Queensland to two Sheffield Shield victories, including their first ever in 1994/95, and two Mercantile Cup victories in his five years at the helm. All before achieving outstanding results with Australia.
If Warne wants to move into coaching fair enough, give up the commentary and concentrate on learning the art. He needs to show people that he is that his opinions have changed and he should put in the time at a lower level to show his willingness to commit rather than being parachuted straight into the top job.
