India’s former captain Kapil Dev shared his views on the role of a head coach in modern-day cricket. He said that coaches today are managing players rather than coaching them. His remarks came at a time when India head coach Gautam Gambhir is already facing criticism following India’s 0–2 home Test series loss to South Africa.
Speaking at the Indian Chamber of Commerce ICC Centenary Session, India’s first World Cup-winning captain explained how the meaning of the word ‘coach’ has changed over the years. “Today that word called a coach… ‘coach’ is a very common word today. Gautam Gambhir can’t be a coach. He can be a manager of the team,” Kapil said. He further added, “When you say coach, coach is where I learned in school and college. Those were my coaches. They could manage me.”
Kapil elaborated on his point, questioning how one person can technically coach specialists across departments. “How can you be a coach when they have given a name to, let’s say, anybody – a leg spinner? How can Gautam be a coach to a leg spinner or to the wicketkeeper? I think you have to manage. That’s more important. As a manager, you give them encouragement to say you can do it, because when you become a manager, the young boys look up to you.”
Talking about leadership, Kapil highlighted the importance of backing players and creating a comfortable environment. “How can my manager or captain give me that comfort? That’s what the manager and captain’s job is – to give comfort to the team and always say ‘you can do better’. That’s the way I look at it.”
Sharing some captaincy insights, Kapil stressed the need to support players who are struggling. “I think you have to give comfort to the people who are not playing well… As a captain, I would like to have a drink with people or have dinner with those who are not performing. You need to give them confidence, and that’s what happens. So I think it’s very important as a captain that your role is not only about your performance, but also about putting the team together.”
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