Ricky's influence
Matthew Mott | June 06, 2023
Further evidence to great coaches creating a legacy was in one of Rod Marsh’s finest students Ricky Ponting. I grew up playing against Ricky and he was, without doubt, a prodigy, head and shoulders above the next best of his age. Ricky had always been very generous with his time when we have crossed paths and often popped his head in when I was Head Coach of NSW to make observations of some of our young players.
I had two encounters with Ricky that have made me realise he could become a truly great coach and take coaching in Australia to another level. Ricky first impressed me during our time together with at the Kolkata Knightriders in the inaugural IPL. The Knightriders had a star-studded team with the likes of Ganguly, Gayle, McCullum, D. Hussey and ironically Ponting was one of the lowest paid coming out of the auction. His wage for the six weeks work was still a considerable windfall for players of that time.
The heat in Kolkata was stifling and like most sensible people when training was done the players all took to the comfort of the air-conditioning. Time and time again the last player to leave the field was Ricky, who often took it upon himself to throw balls to the young Indian players who wanted to learn a bit more about the game. He would literally talk cricket to anyone who wanted to get better and spend hours with these young players in the oppressive heat. With the greatest respect to the other great players I have played with, I have never witnessed another player with such selfless passion make other players better. I knew then and there that Australia had potentially one of the great cricket mentors, teachers or coaches in our history.
Unfortunately getting access to Ricky will always be a challenge. He is a busy man and in high demand all around the world. Thankfully I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the Men’s T20 Team against New Zealand during the successful Tri-Series last year thanks to Darren Lehmann allowing me to join the Men’s Team for a different experience.
One of the highlights was spending time with Ricky, coaching alongside him and picking his brains at every opportunity. Plenty of great chat was had on the Golf Course with players as he gave his thoughts and feelings on the game and how the team could improve. He spoke with such passion, knowledge, and empathy to these players who would literally hang off his every word.
What resonated most with me was Ricky never spoke about himself. Plenty of others would try to get him to talk to about himself but he always deflected from himself and spoke more of others of his generation. He also spoke in genuine awe of the current players, he often said how much he enjoyed watching them play and was so positive of the way they were playing.
He was like the ‘Pied Piper’ on that tour and to Boof’s credit, rather than be threatened by it, he actively encouraged it and took a back seat during the tactical discussions. The players held him in such high esteem, but he was the one who spoke so highly of them and how much they took the game on. Ricky read the room brilliantly and had an incredible knack of saying exactly what was required for the situation. It was fascinating to hear his thoughts on the tactical side of the game but also his understanding of batting technique and the pros and cons for each different technique. Unlike a lot of coaches, he didn’t have a one size fits all mentality but instead worked on what positive changes could enhance what the player already possessed.
When talking generally about coaching in Australia, we need great former players such as Ricky coming back into the fold, but we need those with a passion to impart knowledge. Coaching and teaching take time and patience and learning the hard way about how to deliver your message. Being clear on what you stand for and how you are going to operate daily is all part of the learning curve for new coaches. I personally have learned so much more from my failures as a coach than my successes and becoming a great coach is something that I may never achieve but must always aspire to.
As much as cricket benefits from the former greats, we equally need coaches who know the struggle of not being blessed with great immense talent. Coaching takes all types, being a great player gives you a head start but players will always quickly assess and work out whether you can help them improve. If you can, you will have them, if not all the great stuff you achieved as player fades quickly.
Some of the best coaches I have seen haven’t had great cricket pedigree behind them, but they give something as a point of difference. They might be great technical coaches, great coaches of youth, great man-managers and or just have that perceived ‘magic dust’ that players are drawn to. All of them have one thing in common, they all want to bring out the best in those around them. Coaching is learning as much as teaching, it is listening more than talking, it is parking the ego at times to get the best outcome. At the centre of every decision must be ‘What is best for this team?’ and if you can stay true to that as a coach you will have your share of good and bad days and some in between but you will always sleep at night.
Coaching is not that sexy at times, it’s a lonely business. When you win quite rightly it is all about the team and the caravan moves on quickly. When you lose it’s all your fault and every single decision is questioned. The reviews are brutal and take time away from things you can be working on. You ask yourself at times whether the emotional highs and lows are all worth it, then you see the smile on a player’s face when you have helped them, and it makes it all worthwhile. There is no greater feeling as a coach than seeing a player who has struggled, come out the other side and have sustained success.
In coaching, never take too much credit for the success or blame for the failures. Cricket coaching is one of the most enjoyable, rewarding and satisfying jobs in the world but it’s no place for the faint-hearted!
