Andy Flower, the head coach of Gulf Giants in the ongoing inaugural edition of ILT20, expressed his admiration for legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar, saying despite all the adoration showered on him, he hasn't been spoilt by it as a human being.
"I've always admired Anil Kumble; obviously, he is an amazing bowler and a great competitor. And then I was fortunate enough to work with him in the coaching context. But I've got to settle with Sachin.
We played against him a lot, and he scored tonnes of runs against us." "I had the privilege of sitting behind the stumps with him for hours on end, watching him play. So, I think he's the guy, and not just because of his playing ability, but also because of the way he carried himself throughout his career.
Now the adoration that he gets in India could very easily spoil a person and that hasn't happened to him and that's amazing," Flower, the former Zimbabwe player, was quoted as saying by broadcasters Zee.
Flower, who is also head coach of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), further disclosed how he works with a player individually when they are in their tough times during a tournament.
"Well, the one thing I think that we all have to accept is that there will always be change, and if you are expected to change quickly for both positive results and negative results, that's not how the world works.
So, I think accepting that you are a flawed human being and that there will be ups and downs along your path is important." "I think that's a good starting point. From there, I think with that foundational understanding, you can say to yourself, "How do I want to excel?"
What do I need to do? And with that, if you like, "wisdom". it's easier for a player to accept that not every day is going to go his way." Gulf Giants are doing exceptionally well in the ILT20 with three wins in as many matches as now.
Flower, who has been in cricket coaching since 2007, explained how he had to make changes in his coaching style over the years in the fast-evolving world of cricket.
"It's definitely changed. And I'd be really embarrassed to make such an error and say that it hadn't, because we all love to develop in our own different ways.
And with the experiences that I've had, initially, as a young coach, sort of 40 years old, taking over England, and now that I'm 54, I've been through all sorts of different experiences as a coach and a leader."
"So, I would very much hope that I've developed and become better. To give a little more detail, as I guess I've softened a little as a coach and become a little more empathetic with the players, even if I hop back to my captaincy days, I think I was quite impatient and quite scathing of others occasionally if they didn't put in what I thought were the standards that were required."
"So, empathy helps you listen better, helps understand individuals better, and helps you understand group dynamics better. And with that understanding and awareness, you can make better decisions.
So, I hope I'm headed in that direction." Desert Vipers play the Gulf Giants at 3:30 PM IST on January 22 in Dubai International Stadium. Cricket fans across the world can catch the telecast in India on Zee5, Zee Cinema SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema, &Pictures HD, &Flix SD, &Flix HD, Zee Zest SD, Zee Zest HD, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Thirai.