By Yash Khandor – July 12, 2019
“In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that’s the way new leaves grow.” – Amit Ray
The terse above beautifully exemplifies the latest development in the USA Cricket coaching structure.
The advent of some very experienced and globally revered names forms the crux of this revamp and seems a step in the right direction.
Below are these ‘big’ names along with their respective roles with USA Cricket Team Management:
- Kiran More: Senior Cricket Operations Consultant – well-known for his wicket-keeping antics and skills for India, Ex-Chairman of Selectors for Team India between 2002 and 2006, Cricket Consultant to the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He’s a certified talent scout at various capacities in India.
- Pravin Amre: Batting Coach – One of the much bankable man for his ability to groom young talent in India. Known as the “Coach who grooms India’s Rising Stars“, Mr Amre was instrumental in guiding the India U-19 team to a World Cup win in 2012. He is an ex-India International Cricketer, part of the coaching staff for Mumbai Indians, Pune Warriors India and Delhi Capitals.
- Kieran Powell: Batting Coach – By far and large, the most surprising inclusion among the ‘big’ names. On the back of a modest career and tender experience at an age of slender age of just 29 years and 129 days – all of us seek and await clarifications from the USA Cricket Board w.r.t. the young southpaws role in the USA Cricket Team Management.
- Sunil Joshi: Spin Bowling Coach – Head Spin Bowling Coach of the Bangladesh National Team for the World Cup of 2019. Spin bowling all-rounder serving the Indian Cricket Team between 1996 and 2001. Prior coaching experience also includes coaching the Oman National Team and Ranji trophy teams of Assam and Hyderabad.
- James Ian Pamment: Fielding Coach – Fielding Specialist for New Zealand Cricket and Fielding Coach of the Mumbai Indians.
- David Saker: Fast Bowling Coach – Very impressive CV including fast bowling coach for the Australian National Cricket Team (up until Feb 2019), bowling coach for the England Cricket Team during their famous Ashes win of 2010-11 and also the coach for Melbourne Renegades (and potentially Melbourne Stars).
Most of the names above seem to have a connection – the recent strategic partnership between USA Cricket and American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) seems to be the driving force behind this. A lot of names from the cricket frenzy town of Mumbai and a special association with the Mumbai Indians suggests an influence of the ACE executives Satyan Gajwani and Vineet Jain.
Like all good things come at a cost, this USA Cricket Coaching Structure face-lift comes with a cost too. Our altruistic, resolute, committed and validated coach Pubudu bids farewell to his role as the Coach of the USA Cricket Team. Arguably, the best “Associate Nation Coach”, Coach Pubudu gave his all and ensured USA Cricket got up from the being “bits and pieces” to being a “complete team” and helped them gain the coveted ODI Status on April 24, 2019. From all of us here at the International Cricket Network – ICN360 and on behalf of all the USA Cricket fraternity, we would like to thank Coach Pubudu for his invaluable contributions to USA Cricket and wish him good luck for his future endeavors.
The first step has been taken, and we believe it is one in the forward direction. What lies ahead of USA Cricket is growth and more growth.
Will this Coaching Structure retread take the form and shape we all are hoping for? Or will it bring back the ghosts from the past?
Picture Courtesy: Wikipedia, Cricket Australia, Sportstar – the Hindu
Source: USA Cricket Media Release
P.S. All thoughts and opinions are personal and not endorsements of any person or product.
