One of the greatest batters of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, is a name that is always taken when speaking about the game. With 100 international centuries, over 34,000 international runs, and a career that spanned more than two decades, Tendulkar is a player who has played a huge role in uplifting the sport. With the current Indian team in a transitional phase, many wonder why hasn’t the former opener hasn’t been associated with the game in a coaching capacity. However, should Team India seriously consider him as head coach?
Sachin Tendulkar’s experience as coach/mentor
Since retiring in 2013, Tendulkar has continued to play an ambassadorial role in cricket, serving as a part-time mentor and icon for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL. However, he does not take on full-time coaching responsibilities nor travel with the team for every match. Instead, he provides his input and motivation from the sidelines.
He has also been involved in bringing up young talent through the SRT10 Global Academy and the Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy. The batting great has also mentored and conducted sessions with Indian players like Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina during their lean patches.
Should Team India seriously consider Sachin Tendulkar as head coach?
Despite all this, being a head coach is a different commitment. Coaching requires not just technical expertise but also hands-on involvement in team strategies, fitness routines, planning, and management, and is considered a high-pressure job. And historically, great players don’t always make great coaches.
Sachin Tendulkar as India’s captain
Tendulkar’s stint as India’s captain was decent. His captaincy ended abruptly after a tenure that saw internal disagreements and selection challenges. His stand against having former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin in the side, only to be overruled, pushed him to resign.
Additionally, the Mumbai-born has admitted that the burden of captaincy affected his batting, playing a big role in stepping down from the role. While he is known for his hard work and discipline, these same traits might make him too idealistic or less adaptable to the personalities in a modern dressing room.
Rahul Dravid, another stalwart of Indian cricket, began his coaching journey with the India U19 and India A teams, learning the role from the grassroots level. His gradual progress led him to coach the senior men’s team. Similarly, Gautam Gambhir, a World Cup-winning player and IPL-winning captain, has served as a mentor in the IPL before taking over the Indian coaching role.
Why has Sachin Tendulkar never taken up coaching roles?
Notably, the 52-year-old has never taken up a full-time coaching role or actively worked in the domestic or junior circuit. For someone of his stature, walking into the Indian dressing room as a coach could be different. Players might see him more as a legendary figure than a coach, a perception that could limit honest feedback, healthy debate. Disagreements with someone of his stature could also be awkward or difficult to help younger players.
However, he is more suited to roles that allow him to inspire and advise, rather than the day-to-day coaching. His role as a mentor or consultant could still be beneficial during major tournaments. Moreover, Tendulkar has never shown much interest in taking up managerial or administrative responsibilities, a difference from some of his contemporaries. Similarly, Sunil Gavaskar once declined coaching opportunities, citing a lack of patience and a preference for commentary and on-air broadcasting.
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