Here is what John Buchanan had to say to Ananda Bazaar Patrika reporter, Gautam Bhattacharya. The interview appeared in Sports page of the Daily on 29th April’09. I am attempted an English translation of the interview and have inserted my personal comments in parenthesis below.
Interview:
Q: It is believed by many that removing Saurav from Captaincy has been unfair, and led to the bad performance of the team. What is your logic behind removing Saurav from Captaincy?
A: It is not a personal decision taken due to a personal prejudice. The decision was taken in the interest of the Franchisee and its future.
(My comments: Amazing how far sighted Bookha Naan is! Want to know the power of his Glasses!)
Q: That is fine. But, why was there so much delay in change of Captaincy? And why was there so much mystery surrounding it. It has all been done at the very last moment. Even Mc Cullum must have faced much problem, at the late appointment.
A: Although we initiated the process pretty late, I am sure that this is the best combination possible.
(My Comments: Bookha Naan could have kept the truth pretty short and simple by saying, “Well, I got this dream (Multiple Captains) very recently”)
Q: Where is the evidence on Field? Do you still have any hope of going into the Semis?
A: Ya, we have. If we can win 6 out of the remaining 9 games, we still can reach semis as 2nd or 3rd team.
(My Comment: Now you know why Bookha Naan spends all the time with his Lappy. He tries to calculate the numbers in MS Exel.)
Q: You had said in Kolkata, that there shall be four Captains in the KKR team. We haven’t seen any such thing yet. There is only one leader – Mc Cullum
A: Multiple Captains is not what I meant. I meant Multiple Leadership. Mc Cullum is surely the Captain, but responsibility for setting the field is shared by Hodge and Gayle. Batting Order is decided by Mathew Mort. I didn’t deviate from what I said, did I?
(My Comment: Johnie, haven’t u ever learnt in your Nursey class, the proverb, “Too many cooks spoil the broth”? Time to go to school, Johnie.)
Q: So you are saying that you haven’t decided the Batting Order in a single Match, still?
A: No. The entire thing has been decided by Mathew. We have a good understanding.
(My Comments: Amazing! So what are u getting paid for? Dreaming of combinations and learning MS Exel?)
Q: Tell me something frankly. Why is KKR passing through such horrible time? Australia never reached a similar state in your tenure as Coach?
A: Australia passed through the same, many times. Didn’t we loose the Ash’s series? This team has done so too much of hard practice. That is making them stiff perhaps. We must be more relaxed and be able to control the first six overs of the game.
(My Comments: Well the real reason of stiffness is your presence Mr. Buchanan and member of Buchanan Foundation. It is natural to become stiff for normal people, if they suddenly find themselves in an Asylum, controlled by bunch of mad buffoons!)
Q: You had the best success rate among coaches. You have now got a blot on your record.
A: Haa! A T20 tournament result cannot tarnish my record for Team Australia. The sole goal of a Franchisee should not be to win matches only. It should aim at building a strong foundation for the future, by balancing the present with future.
(My comments: Wonder who was the last Aussie, to become a Philosopher from Cricket Coach and when? Think think..... It was Greg Chappel, just before he got the BOOT from the Indian Cricket Team.)
Q: What is Shahrukh, saying?
A: He is backing me extremely well. The help I am getting from the Franchisee is unprecedent.
(My comment: One advice for u Mr. Coachie. Never forget Shahrukh’s main profession. He is an Actor. You must have seen his acting skills soon after you announced your multiple captain theory, when he backed Saurav on Media and you behind closed doors! So whatever you do, Mr. Coachie, never allow him to get at your back. You never know what can happen!! Hope you got the message.)
Q: All said and done, if the team fails, you shall be the one in the Firing Squad. Does this thought occur to you?
A: That is a part of the system. If the system you built is of no use to the franchisee, I shall have to go. There is no way out. The bullet shall come and hit you. That is the condition of the job.
(My comment: I just pray that it is not a bullet that sends you out, but a kick to show you the door.)
Q: Last one. When Gayle leaves, do you think Ganguly should open with Mc Cullum?
A: I am not thinking of that right now. Hodge can also open.
(My Comment: Speak the truth Coachie. You should have said, “I am following a NO GANGULY policy, since Greg is my idol and I don’t care if I have to meet the same fate.”)
DISCLAIMER: The above is just a translation of the interview that appeared in Ananda bazaar, on 29th April’09. My comments within the parenthesis are solely my personal opinion.
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2 comments:
Good post. The interview was good and your comments even better. Keep posting
It is interesting to see him take credit for aussie's stupendous success. I had recently read an interview of shane warne, wherein he says the success of the aussie team at that time was COMPLETELY due to individual brilliance of players and had NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR COACH. Its surprising to see Mr. Bhookha Nan still ramble about his contribution to australia.
I also agree when you caution him against SRK coz he is an actor.. !!
Mr. Coach says that SRK backs him, and then today we hear that SRK is trying to sell off his stake.. !! thats quite a genuine backing I must say.. :)
Good posts.. keep it up!!
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