Sri Lanka's Coaching Dilemma & Why Bangladesh Needs Succession Planning

[jeesh]

Paul Farbrace's decision to quit Sri Lanka reflects the challenges in the world of cricket today. Sadly country's like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka cant even offer its head coaches the salary England or India will offer its assistant coaches. Farbrace apparently recieved a significantly larger offer much more than what cash strapped SLC can afford or even think about. Also its an honor for him working for his own country. Its surprising, after winning T20 and with World Cup next year, Farbrace could have made a name for himself as a head coach, beef up his resume for a big job. Instead he decided to take an assistant role of a team. In a similar fashion they lost Graham Ford who cited family issues, but quickly took over a job at Kent.

SLC is not pleased. Frustrating time for them as they have a busy year ahead, and felt Farbrace who has been with the team for a while was the right man to organize and manage the team with already so many talented specialized coaches.

But the truth is most people in Sri Lanka are not upset at it at all. For a long time, most people, players wanted a local coach. For a while they nurtured Chandika Hathurusinghe for the head coach role. Unfortunately a spat with SLC saw him migrate to Australia where he is currently second in charge with NSW Blues. See Sangakaras letter to SLC requesting for his services (http://cricket.dilmahtea.com/index.php?topic=185.0).

Now it seems like they will turn to Marvan Atapattu who has also been in the system for many years-as captain, key player, and batting coach. Has worked under Stuart Law, Graham Ford as an assistant. As a player he has worked under high profile coaches including Whatmore, Tom Moody, John Dyson etc. He has even coached Singapore, Canada.

With the support of Chaminda, Vaas, Muralitharan, Kalpage and senior stalwarts like Sanga, Mahela, Dilshan etc Atapattu will probably keep up with the work of Graham Ford and Trevor Bayliss. A lot of people say Sri Lanka will have a tough time once many of their seniors retire. But like they replaced Arjuna and De Silva with Sanga and Mahela, now they might replace these players with guys like Thirimane, Chandimal, Mathews and Kusal Perera.

Key lesson for Bangladesh here is succession planning. SLC might not be the most professional model organization. They also have their fair share of problems with players, politics etc. But because they did proper succession planning they wont face the issues we are facing.

Bangladesh could have developed Aminul Islam or Khaled Mahmud or Khaled Mashud for a head coach role (I am pretty sure they would do a better job than the current coach). There seems to be no plan to involve past cricketers like Rafique or Hasibul Hossain etc to develop next crop of cricketers. No idea of having a shadow coach. Coaches like Salahuddin who have played a key role in development of Shakib, Mushfiq is not involved. Every former cricketer seems to want to become a BCB committee member or a selector or a manager. No one wants to get their hands dirty with what could actually benefit the team. And those who do like Aminul Islam are never given an opportunity.

Straying a bit from the main topic, succession planning also applies to players. If Mashrafee retires, who will replace him? If Mushfiq decides to quit as a captain, who will replace him? Since Tamim Iqbal is not performing, who can take over? If Shakib Al Hasan ends up with the same fate as KP, who will replace? I dont think Faruque Ahmed has any answers to any of these questions, and neither does the BCB chief-whose strategy was to raise voice during a tournament. And once thats over, he has forgotten everything about it and gone back to status quo-oh and the appointment of a psychologist for three sessions. Bravo chief!

Atapattu will take over today. Maybe Sangakara or Mahela will take over tomorrow. Even if SLC cant afford foreign coaches, these guys will step up for their country with the experience they have gathered as players and working under proper coaches. When you are disadvantaged by unfavorable forces in the environment, do something that helps you bypass these icebergs. Be master of your own fate. SLC's decision to fill team with local coaching talent will allow them to do this. But BCB on the other hand, based on recent development will probably crash into the iceberg. And for all the chances we ve been given i doubt ICC will be sending in a salvage ship