The Wright man
He is a silent man, often engrossed in his laptop. Whenever the television camera is on him, he would be staring at his laptop, typing something and in between looking at the game played out in the middle.
John Wright he is and was the right man for India five years ago.
He took over as coach at a time when the Indian team was not yet 'Team India', when The Wall was not fully built yet, when Virendra Sehwag was swishing at everything from ball one, when many changes were made in the team as and when the selectors pleased. At that time, the Indian cricket team needed a coach who could inspire them, make them confident and play cricket with a feel-good air.
For once, the men at the helm did the 'Wright' thing by picking John.
If people praise Ganguly for his leadership skills and the way he built his team (of course, the same people are not happy with the way he bats now), then, Ganguly has his coach John Wright to thank for this. Despite Sourav's uncanny ability to 'spot the right person for the job', he would have needed guidance and support from a caring coach - and that came in plenty from Wright.
John Wright, because of his non-Indian background, improved a key area in cricket - fitness. Along with the likes of Andrew Leipus and Gregory King, he worked hard on the players, egging them on all the time. If someone like Sachin Tendulkar can be seen sprinting after the ball and stopping it with a daring dive, it speaks volumes for the coach's ability in training him for such an effort.
When the affable Kiwi started working with the Indian team, he sure would have been fascinated. A team which had so much raw talent, so much strength, so much cricketing ability and intelligence... all that it needed was a person who could channelise the skills in the proper direction.
Definitely, the computer-savvy silent man has done that to a very good extent in his five-year tenure. The Indian team and the whole of this cricket-crazy country will miss him now that his contract has ended.
Srinivasa Ramanujam
