‘That 1983 spell vs India still motivates me’

He does see the similarity between the two games, but he had some lessons learnt from 1983. “After claiming three wickets in my first 7 overs, my fellow new ball bowler Peter Rawson and I had reduced to India for 17/5. But I was taken off after that. In hindsight, I think I should have continued,” says the man who represented Zimbabwe in two World Cups in the 70s. He goes on to add how there were chances that they would have got Kapil Dev in case he had got an extended spell. “Those days a bowler could bowl 12 overs, so we had a chance,” says the coach regretting about the 30 runs to India.

But Curran has that select section of 17/5 in his World Cup memories album that include a win against Pakistan in the warm-up, and probably the biggest upset in the history of the tournament — upsetting Australia. “The win against the Aussies who had the likes of Allan Border, Denis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, is right on top for me. Personally too, the World Cups have been very satisfying for me since I scored a couple of 70s and that spell where I reduced India to for 17/5,” he says.

All these World Cup tales are a part of motivational talk he gives to his young team, stressing how one shouldn’t get overawed by big names. “These things certainly help. We have to build the confidence of the players. There will be big games and big names, but one has to switch off. Our guys can play with lot of flair without any pressure and that can be dangerous for the rivals,” he says.

And, finally, one asks Curran to compare the two teams — the one he played for and the one he is presently coaching. That, indirectly, means asking him to speak on the falling standard of the game in Zimbabwe. “We have lost a lot of senior players, about 30 of them. Take a team like West Indies and take out Chris Gayle, Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and let us see how they fare. That’s just three, I am talking about 30. That’s like striking out three teams,” he says.