Support stars

Ricky Ponting8217;s men camping in Mumbai have one to match every Baggy Green that takes to the field 8212; with 11 members making up the support squad. That includes manager Steve Bernard, a compulsive newspaper reader, and the studious-looking coach John Buchanan, besides his deputy Dene Hills, an affable bloke who can plunge into serious strategy, moments after he has smiled plenty sharing tidbits with the press corps.

Richard McGuiness lugs his tripod and laptop around, and his role as performance analyst keeps him and his rolling-happy digicam busy, tracking other teams, hard at work. While, Reg Dikasson, the security-in-charge, keeps a roving eye on both adoring fans and unwanted rogues.

Alex Kontouris, Justin Cordy and Lucy Frostick are in charge of keeping this famous Australian squad in smack shape, and carry super-specialised briefs: Kontouri, the physio, Cordy looking after strength and conditioning, and Frostick, the lady massage therapist. The man overseeing the nets is bowling coach Troy Cooley, poached from England, who in turn had snapped him from Tasmania, while fielding coach Mike Young, conducting Australia8217;s ever-innovating drills is a striking instance of cricket consuming a man from baseball, the English game8217;s American cousin.

Try talking to all or any of them, and the man through whom your request is to be routed is Graeme Vimpani, the Australian media manager. His is the only voice you will hear on days when the Aussies choose to stay quiet; though the chirpy Andrew Symonds can be trusted to breach any silence.

That8217;s a formidable 11 of backroom blokes, and they all chip in when the playing XI hit the turf after a game8212;helping Gilchrist stretch here or loosen up McGrath8217;s limbs there. Yes, it8217;s a far cry from when cricket teams would travel with one coach, a manager and perhaps an all-purpose quack, prefixed Dr. And to think, Errol Alcott was throw-down partner, masseuse, trainer, sport-psychologist and honest buddy all rolled into one in his 22-year illustrious stint with the Australians.

England have brought in a dozen, including Dr Peter Gregory, entrusted with the onerous task of keeping England8217;s pack of bowlers with their notorious niggles, fit. More so, preserve them with the Ashes to follow, though Gregory is due to retire before that marquee series, as his contract expires. The Indians, of course, have five, not counting coach Greg Chappell while the South Africans have at least 10 on the support squad list at the Champions Trophy. Then there are the Kiwis with their five, complaining of shortage of this hidden manpower owing to a financial crunch.

No such worries for Australia who replaced a legend in Errol Alcott with the high-profile Alex Kontouris. 8220;Alcott did great work and it was surely a tough assignment that I was about to take up. But there was confidence and the fact that I had been working with another champion team Sri Lanka,8217;8217; he says, adding, 8220;When I moved over, I immediately found one common aspect in both of them Australia and Sri Lanka. Both were hungry for success. To be fair, the Australians were a notch above when it came to professionals but again, the important thing was both these teams were desperately looking for success all the time.8217;8217;

8220;In 1995 there were five, and in seven years, that has doubled,8217;8217; informs Richard McGuiness, Australia8217;s performance analyst. 8220;My job is probably the newest of additions to a group of the support staff,8217;8217; he says, before he heads to the other end of the city, to take stock of New Zealand who are playing in another warm-up. 8220;Work looks the easiest on match-days for me,8217;8217; he quips, adding that strategising has had to keep pace with the game8217;s changing rules, a challenge that spills into the dressing room as much as it throws posers to the playing XI.

8220;The game has changed a lot. It8217;s not just about being cricket-fit, but you need to be an exceptional athlete now,8217;8217; captain Ricky Ponting explained. Which justifies every Australian dollar paid to Kontouris, Cordy and Frostick who offer a collective backroom cushioning to what appears a spectacular dive from Ponting and Symonds but might show its after-effects when the yellow shirts troop in weary and bruised after the match is over.

Warm-ups and limber-downs are especially hectic for the team8217;s travelling masseuse Lucy Frostick. 8220;Massaging8217;s not just about easing tired nerves. We also focus on strengthening muscles, so I8217;m on-call on a daily basis,8217;8217; she says. 8220;Sport in Australia is an inborn routine, and they8217;re smarter when it comes to doing the right things,8217;8217; explains Kontouris.

Hamish Blair, a photographer with an international agency is the 12th man to this backroom squad of 11; contracted as he is by Cricket Australia when the team tours. 8220;I travel with them, and have captured team-bonding amongst Australians as it happens off-the-field. And that8217;s over their team dinners, camel-rides, desert-drives and even scuba-dives since they are such happy travellers. Since Alcott8217;s days, the support staff has emerged as an integral part of the squad, and that includes pepping up the dressing room atmosphere and even helping each other improve their golfing handicaps.8217;8217;

He recalls how coach Buchanan sportingly shaved off his head after losing a wager to a backroom staffer following their 2003 WC triumph. It8217;s one big happy family; no wonder winning has been incidental.

8212;With K Shriniwas Rao

THE BACKROOM 11

Australia8217;s match-winning support staff:

Manager: Steve Bernard

Coach: John Buchanan

Assistant Coach: Dene Hills

Performance analyst: Richard McGuiness

Bowling coach: Troy Cooley

Fielding coach: Mike Young

Physio: Alex Kontouris

Strength 038; conditioning: Justin Cordy

Massage therapist: Lucy Frostick

Security-in-charge: Reg Dikasson

Media manager: Graeme Vimpani

12th man: official tour photographer: Hamish Blair