Bitter end for another Aussie coach

Two years ago,when Michael Nobbs took charge of the national hockey team,eyebrows went up in Indias sporting circles

Two years ago,when Michael Nobbs took charge of the national hockey team,eyebrows went up in Indias sporting circles. In the past,two Aussies imports,Ric Charlesworth and Greg Chappell,legendary players and coaches with proven credentials,had endured forgettable stints in India. The straight talking Aussie way,and the professional approach that came with it,didnt gel with a slow-moving Indian system that pampered its stars.

Chappell didnt enjoy a happy relationship with the players and parted ways with the BCCI on a bitter note. Charlesworth,the former technical director of the hockey team,gave up within a year of his appointment,after several angry run-ins with the officials.

Maybe taking a cue from his compatriots,Nobbs naturally took a cautious route. Right from his early days,he avoided confrontation and tried to work around the system,so much so that he was soon dubbed the federations yes man. The 58-year-old hardly challenged the authorities and shied away from tough decisions. After the Olympic debacle last year,when the situation demanded some harsh calls,Nobbs passive approach perplexed many. He was not successful in having a strong say in selection matters and ultimately,failed to establish authority in the dressing room.

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Though a happy unit,the players never came across as a confident bunch during the last year or so. And Nobbs,who himself was dealing with a bout of depression,wasnt quite an inspirational figure. On match days,his wasnt a reassuring presence in the dugout. The fact that the players still spoke highly about his predecessor Jose Brasa,three years after he was sacked,showed how much the coach had failed to win over his wards. In his short stay as Indian hockeys technical advisor,even Roelant Oltmans has managed to win more trust from the players than Nobbs.

India can be a tough place for a foreign coach to flourish. To succeed,you need to strike a balance between being hard-nosed and indulgent,a path between those taken by Charlesworth and Nobbs. Maybe the next foreign coach can learn a few things.

Mihir is senior correspondent based in Mumbai

mihir.vasavdaexpressindia.com