Known for his ability to build an innings,S Badrinath has been an asset to the teams he has represented since his debut in 2000-01. From being a grafter of runs to scoring at a strike rate of over 111, he has molded his game to adapt to the demands of the newest format with determination.
Much like his diligence with the bat, he has worked meticulously with coach, Paras Mhambrey to help Vidarbha make their mark on the domestic circuit since shifting base from Tamil Nadu in 2014-15. In an interview with
bcci.tv, Badrinath opens up about his style of leadership and cricket.
Excerpts from the interview:How has it been for you to be at the helm and groom Vidarbha, who had a good run in 2014-15 and are close to qualifying for the knockouts this season (2015-16)?
It was a challenge to be honest. Firstly, if anything, I was moving away from a familiar location, where I had lived and played all my cricket, to an unknown place. It has been a mutual team effort, in the sense that it is also the Vidarbha Cricket Association and the way they have given me my space and the facilities and made me feel comfortable there. Coach Paras Mhambrey has been a tremendous influence. From the cricketers’ point of view, of course I am glad. I know that I could contribute and make a difference to the association and Ranji Trophy cricket and everything.
What I did was make the guys forget about the results and enjoy the processes and to make them realise what they could do and what they could not do (understand limitations). I am glad that it worked out well.
Have you worked with them on a one-to-one basis, or as a team or both?
A lot of one-to-one work was put in by our coach. He spends more time in Nagpur with the boys while I travel to Nagpur only during the season. During the off season, even when there is not much cricket being played, he has played a major role on an individual basis. During the season it is important for me to enable and empower boys with their own knowledge and the style of cricketers they are. Helping them understand themselves is what I do. I have learnt over the years that it’s not about just being a leader, but it’s about creating leaders. Making them their own leaders (understand and think for themselves) will help them realise their potential and make a huge difference. Another thing that I took upon myself is to help youngsters play their best cricket besides me playing good cricket which has helped the team. These are the things that I am trying to focus on and I am happy that cricketers have said that this has been their best season.
How different is it in Vidarbha vis-à-vis Tamil Nadu?
The major difference between the two teams is the experience. In Tamil Nadu, when cricketers come in to the Ranji side, they are fairly experienced. Here, Vidarbha cricketers don’t get much exposure so when they come to first-class cricket some of them are little bit raw and need help and guidance of senior cricketers more and especially the captain. Especially if the youngster is a bowler, the captain plays a very important role.
How much do you enjoy captaincy?
When I came to play for Vidarbha last season (2014-15,) the one-dayers were played first which I played as a batsman while Shalabh Srivastava led the team. As the tournament progressed, the Association, the selectors and coach felt that I should lead and can contribute more (in that role).
And as they said, the experience helps. So I felt why not? If I can contribute more as a leader I will take it up. I have enjoyed the role. The boys have responded to me really well and done well in whatever roles that are assigned to them. I believe it is important to have roles chalked out for each and every one. Delegation is also very important in leadership. I decided to delegate roles to make the individuals realise their role in the team so that there is clarity and they know what they have to do when they go out on the field. The way the boys have responded to their roles assigned to them has been pleasing and has made my job much more enjoyable and to add to that, the association and the coach have all given me a free hand. It is important as a leader to have that space; you need little bit of autonomy to do things and perform.
Batting with patience and playing under pressure is something you have done so well throughout your career. Can you talk to about that and how you advise the youngsters?
It is important to not think about long term goals or whatever you have to do. It is important to break them into shorter targets - like balls or overs or hours and keep achieving (those targets) - is what I also tell the young batsmen. I tell me them not to look at hundreds or fifties but look at the number of balls, spells that you can go through and keep achieving that. At the end of the day it all adds up and you end up playing a long innings. Focus on one ball at a time. The biggest crisis for a batsman is the next ball, so whatever happens, it’s important to forget the previous delivery and play the next one. Keep going is what I tell the youngsters.
Speaking about coping with pressure, it is easier said than done. It is important to stay detached from the situation; just watch the ball and play. It can be instilled only by practice. If you practice with pressure, then in the match it doesn’t seem that difficult and you can handle it better. Practice should be seen as rehearsal. Practice with (the) pressure (that you would feel in the match); practice like you are playing in a match. You should feel upset if you get out even during practice is what I tell the youngsters also. So when you go out there you feel better prepared.
How did you groom yourself to become the batsman that you are?
I remember speaking about this (pressure) to Sachin Tendulkar a long time back when I was making my international debut. I told him I was feeling nervous and asked him how he goes about dealing with it. He told me it is always going to be there; pressure is normal and it is important and accept that it will be there. Everyone feels it. That is the first step in dealing with it. He said, ‘even I am nervous before a Test match even after playing 100 matches.’ The next step would be to stay within your processes and forget about the results. I focused on the processes -whatever I have to do - the end result is not in my control. That’s the way I dealt with pressure or situations that I have been through in my career like selections, oppositions and other things. Sometimes it is important to be detached from a situation as well.
You have to train your mind to play under pressure. I have done it with practice. When you have been through it over and over again (during practice) you don’t feel any different when you are playing in a match. Watch the ball and bat.
What are the things that stand out for you?
Playing Test cricket! It was the top priority since the time I held my bat. It was always on the top of my mind and I am happy that I was able to represent the country in Tests.
Another personal sense of achievement for me is definitely still playing so much of T20 cricket. It was a challenge and an achievement because, if you go back ten years, nobody would have ever believed that I could have played T20 given the way I used to bat. A lot of work has gone into building a game for myself to succeed in twenty20 cricket which gives me a tremendous sense of achievement.
The amount of first-class cricket that I have played is personally very satisfying because when I started playing cricket, I would have been happy with playing one Ranji match and having a job and a settled life. I came from a very modest family so this is the way we started playing cricket. But there is so much that the game has given me that it is definitely a boost and it’s personally satisfying when I look back on the 15 years of cricket that I have played.
