Burning desire to win was the key

Chris Dhambarage and Dilanka Mannankara

Former Australian coach John Buchanan said that the burning desire to win always and the hunger for success was the main ingredients that made the Australian cricket team to win two World Cups and to emerge as a champion outfit.

Buchanan who also coached the Kolkata Knight Riders team in the high profile Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament also paid tribute to Sri Lanka’s champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who retired from test cricket recently.

Following are the excerpts from the interview.

Q: What was the secret behind the Australian team’s tremendous success during your tenure as coach?

A: We had all that intensity inside that you never be satisfied just because you win a game or two or a series or two. Everybody still believes that we should be better we can improve and we can be better. So if we can keep going on no matter what the opposition, the score line, what the game format it is an opportunity to demonstrate that we will be able to overcome the odds.

Q: How was the team’s preparation for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa?

A: Yes, 2003 that was my first World Cup. We had a relatively new captain. Ricky Ponting was only one year in the job as one day captain. We lost Warne at the beginning of the tournament. We lost Leahman for a couple of games. Bevan was injured on the eve of the tournament as well. In that tournament we had Pakistan and India as our first two games. We got ourselves into a difficult situation on a number of games in that tournament particularly in Port Elizabeth. Sri Lanka had us in trouble, New Zealand had us in trouble and England had us in trouble. We had a very good preparation in Pakistan and we were gelling as a good one day outfit. We were fortunate at different stages to win games. And by the time we got into the final we were ready to play our best game.

Q: How about the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean?

A: In 2007 we were totally prepared for it even though from the outside it did not look that way. We lost the Commonwealth Bank series in Australia and we had gone to New Zealand without Ponting without Gilchrist. But by the time we got into the West Indies we were all in good shape. The only concern I had was on the bowling whether they could fare consistently. I think the turning point there was the third game against South Africa at St. Kitts.

Q: In the 2007 World Cup Sri Lanka rested some of their key players against Australia as both teams had already qualified for the final?

A: I think that was an error. From our point of view it was just about playing the game and dealing with that game. I think the message to us was that they were concerned than us. Otherwise you play your best side.

Q: And how about Adam Gilchrist’s squash ball in the final?

A: The squash ball was used in different times and it was just in the World Cup. It gives him the grip that helps him to play a lot straight with a bottom hand.

Q: Whom do you think Australia’s best captain?

A: Ponting is Australia’s best leader. He has a different style to Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor or Shane Warne. I think he has been criticized in the outfield but he is the best man for the Australian cricket team at the moment.

Q: The Australian team had a very poor season during the mid 1980’s under the captaincy of Kim Hugs. How did the transformation take place?

A: I think a couple of things happened there. There were some rebel tours and a lot of players were coming out after the Packer series.

There was lot of disharmony, few players were leaving the team and retiring. What Australia did was very important a couple of decisions.

One is they made Border captain.

He did not want the captaincy. But he was the only player who could really hold his position. The second decision was they brought in Bobby Simpson to tighten up the whole discipline and structure in the side. It took them a couple of years to settle in and they went on to win the 1987 World Cup.

Q: What kind of impact did Shane Warne make to the team?

A: Huge player. Players like Warne, Murali, McGrath, Gilchrist, Sangakkara very aggressive in their game and true greats of the game.

They can turn games around with their individual skills. What they do is also to bring in their presence into the field. That presence makes oppositions make decisions. Warne made an incredible impact on that side.

Q: What is the correct time that you think a player should retire from international cricket?

A: What is required is some pretty frank discussions between those who select sides and the individuals possibly six months to twelve months before they have to leave the game so that they leave at the right time. To do that, that means the selectors got to actually have a successful plan. That’s a pretty dynamic thing to work through.

Q: How would you see the game progressing with the invention of Twenty20 cricket?

A: It has given an incredible opportunity to recognize the three distinct products that is known around the World. And that has to be managed carefully in all aspects so that the game benefits from the individuals point of view.

Therefore good decisions have to be made in terms of future tour programs, tournaments and promotions.

Q: What is your opinion on the ICC Future Tour Program?

A: It is in the hands of the administrators to begin to really be little bit more creative and innovative in their whole program and understand where the game is going.

Q: Your thoughts on the ICC Rankings?

A: Again that is also a part of this whole process. There is no question that every game should count towards not only one day cricket, Twenty20 cricket or test cricket alongside.

Q: Do you think the UDRS should be implemented during every series?

A: I am totally against it. I have been always against it.

The ICC got to support the umpires in the first part in terms of their education and the feedback that they get. The technology has not been proved to be one hundred percent accurate.

Every ground around the World has to have exactly the same technology. But the most important part of all is that you should never question the umpire.

According to the MCC laws and the spirit of the game you don’t question the umpire. Simple is that. How then can you actually allow a system that allows you to question the umpires’ decisions?

Q: Is there any possibility that you would come back and take over coaching in the future?

A: I was with the Knight Riders team in the first two years of the IPL. I will be happy to have another IPL.

May be county cricket, still there is a possibility that I will be able to move but not a national team.

Q: Your comments on the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan?

A: Murali was obviously one of the greats of the game. He is one of the great characters of the game. He brought life, he brought colour, he brought animation and he brought a real sincerity.

The other thing he did was that he changed the game. To me he is the first wrist spinning off spinner. Too many people concentrated for too long on his elbow.