Since the arrival of the ODI World Cup in 1975, the level of competition in cricket rose exponentially. Players and fans dreamt about lifting the greatest trophy in the game. So, they tried every way to increase the level of competition. In the 1970s, it was the West Indies who dominated the world. In the 1980s, the Indian cricket team along with the Aussies dominated the game.
Later on, in the 1990s, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Australia managed to shock the world by winning the World Cup. Most of the champions before the 2000s were underdogs. The decade of the 2000s belonged to Australia as they were the most complete team of the decade. The Indians had to revamp and recreate the team as a star-studded team failed to clear the group stage of the 2007 World Cup.
In the 2010s, the New Zealanders became the dark horses. They were regularly under-estimated but they managed to reach the semi-final of the World Cup in 2011. Later on, in 2015 and 2019, they finished as runners-up. Even though it is the players who have given in everything, some people have managed to bring the team together. They are the coaches and hence, let’s take a look at-
10 Best coaches in cricket history
10 Duncan Fletcher, England(1999–2007)
Most of us remember Duncan Fletcher as the head coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Under him, the Indian team went on to lift the Champions Trophy. He managed to coach a team that was undergoing a transition as the senior players were retiring and were out of the squad. Although India was knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup, his contract was not renewed. This marked his departure from the Indian team.
But, the highlight of his coaching career was his tenure with the English side. Under him, the England Test team managed to win the Ashes after a long gap of 18 years. It is also widely regarded as one of the greatest Test series of all time. The Englishmen managed to defeat the strongest Australian squad ever. The margin was 2-1, and as a result, Fletcher was conferred with OBE.
Apart from that, the England cricket team won 8 consecutive Test matches. They defeated New Zealand 3-0, and the West Indies 4-0. Fletcher, however, had his share of bad times as in 2007, he was criticized heavily as England was knocked out of the 2007 World Cup. But, he is the one under whom the England squad managed to improve in Test cricket.
9 Mickey Arthur, Pakistan(2016-2019)
Mickey Arthur has been one of the most popular coaches since 2015. He managed to coach the Pakistan Cricket Team to an ICC Champions Trophy victory in 2017. For a team that was considered an underdog, this was a great achievement. Well, the credit goes to Arthur and his coaching skills.
In May 2016, Arthur was appointed as the head coach of the Pakistan Cricket Team. In the finals of the Champions Trophy, Pakistan defeated India with a huge margin of 180 runs. After the emphatic victory, Pakistan won series against Sri Lamla and won a triangular series against Zimbabwe, Australia, and Pakistan. His team also managed to climb to the number one spot in ICC Test Rankings.
Arthur also had a successful run with the South African team. Under his coaching, the Proteas became the best team in the world. South Africa even managed to win the Test series in England and Australia later on. Arthur also coached Pakistan on their way to become the number one T20I side.
8 Ravi Shastri, India(2017-)
Ravi Shastri will go down as the most popular coach in the history of Indian Cricket. Wherever the team faced a crisis, Ravi took up the responsibility. He was a useful all-rounder during his playing days and has been an excellent coach for the national team. After Anil Kumble left the spot, Ravi has filled his shoes to perfection.
He took the coaching job in 2017 as the Cricket Advisory Committee nominated his name. Currently, he is the richest coach on the circuit, with a salary of 1.8 crores. He coached India in the 2019 World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals. After the team’s exit from the World Cup, Shastri got an extension of 45 days. But, his current contract has been extended up to the upcoming 2021 T20 World Cup.
Shastri has been instrumental in the team’s success in Australia. Under his coaching, India managed to beat the Aussies in their backyard. Shastri’s man-management skills are excellent, and the success of the Indian team is a result of his hard work. But, the absence of a World Cup Final appearance means he ends up at this position.
7 Michael Hesson, New Zealand(2012-2018)
Mike Hesson is the former head coach of the New Zealand cricket team. Currently, he is associated with the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore as Director of Cricket Operations. But, he is one of the main reasons why New Zealand is one of the best teams in the world. He, along with Brendon McCullum managed to create a strong Kiwi squad that reached the finals of the World Cup in 2015.
He is one of the most successful cricket coaches for New Zealand. Under his coaching, the Kiwis won series in England and South Africa. Later on, the New Zealanders dominated the West Indies and India at home series. He used to pick up players who dominated the domestic tournaments and managed to replicate their success at the international stage. This is one of the major reasons why New Zealand became a strong side.
Hesson is New Zealand’s longest-serving cricket coach. He had a calm approach towards the game, which helped New Zealand to continue to put on wonderful performances post-2015 World Cup. In 2018, Hesson was appointed as the coach representative on the ICC Committee.
6 Dav Whatmore, Sri Lanka(1996) and Bangladesh(2003-2007)
The best thing about World Cups is the platform it provides to the underdogs to shine at the big stage. If we list the fairy tale stories of World Cup-winning campaigns, Sri Lanka’s 1996 World cup victory will make it to the list. They managed to beat the giants and reach the finals of the World Cup. But they had a huge task in defeating the mighty Aussies.
But Ranatunga’s team was never intimidated by challenges, they managed to chase down a target of 242 at Lahore. Well, as everyone celebrated the victory, the man behind the curtains, who played a major role was Dav Whatmore. Later on, he went on to coach the Bangladesh Cricket Team, which shocked the Australians in 2005. The minnows defeated the giants in an ODI game.
Later on, Bangladesh went on to defeat India during a group stage match during the 2007 ICC World Cup. Dav’s coaching skills have helped many teams to regain their touch. Apart from that, the stories of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh showcase his excellent man-management skills. Currently, he is the head coach of Nepal.
5 Gary Stead, New Zealand(2018- )
The current New Zealand side is looking unbeatable. They managed to reach the finals of the World Cup in 2019. After that, they have been unbeatable at home. With Kane Williamson leading the side, Gary Stead has been phenomenal too. He has ensured that the Kiwis have a proper combination and backup when required.
New Zealand has managed to reach the finals of the inaugural World Test Championship. With so many talented players fighting for limited places in the squad, Stead has ensured that a proper playing XI is set up in every game. Adding on, New Zealand has managed to defeat England at their home recently. Even as Williamson was out of the game, they found his replacement in the form of Will Young.
The New Zealander has played 5 Test matches for New Zealand so far. With 278 runs, he averaged 34.8. But, he soon took up the job of coaching national teams. With New Zealand looking for their first major ICC Trophy, the credit for the rise of the squad should be given to Gary Stead.
4 John Wright, India(2000-2005)
The phase of the early 2000s was a bright one for the Indian cricket team. Most people will see the current Indian squad as one of the strongest. But, the habit of winning started when John Wright was appointed as the coach of the Indian national side. Along with Sourav Ganguly, the team performed excellently well.
The Indian cricket team was experiencing a perfect balance of team management and leadership during that time. With many emerging players like Irfan Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh making it to the national side, Wright managed to inculcate a perfect combination of youth and experience to Ganguly’s team. The Indian team managed to defeat the mighty Aussies in India. Steve Waugh’s Test team was finally defeated at Kolkata. That match is well known as a turning point in Indian cricket.
In 2002, India won the Natwest Trophy at Lord’s. With Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif playing vital knocks, India managed to defeat the Englishmen on their home soil. Under Wright’s coaching tenure, Team India went on to reach the final of the 2003 ICC World Cup. Although they failed to win the tournament, they managed to impress everyone.
3 Trevor Bayliss, England(2015-2019)
The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup was one of the darkest phases of English Cricket. During the group stage, England was knocked out by Bangladesh. After that, Trevor Bayliss took up the job of coaching the side. He along with Eoin Morgan created a side that went on to lift the 2019 World Cup.
His main aim was to give the players all the freedom to trust their abilities. As a result of which the English side went on to create many records. This brought the best out of players like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow. Later, England even managed to put up 481 in 50 overs. The English side became one of the finest in the world.
Under Bayliss, England managed to reach the final of the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup. But, they were defeated as West Indies managed to score 24 from 4 balls in the final over. But, this transformed the way England played their game. They became the fearless bunch of players who were never intimidated by any attack.
2 Gary Kirsten, India(2008-2011)
After the Chappell debacle, the Indian team needed someone to take care of the team which had to host the next World Cup. The BCCI offered Gary Kirsten the role of the head coach of the Indian cricket team in 2007. Later on, in March 2008, he took up the job. Later on, within three years, he became the best coach Team India ever had.
During his tenure, India defeated Australia 2-0 at home. Later on, India won its first bilateral series in Sri Lanka. Adding on, India won the Test and ODI series against New Zealand after a long gap of 40 years. Kirsten himself was a successful batsman for South Africa. He played 101 Test matches and 185 ODIs in which he averaged 45.37 in Tests and 40.95 in ODIs.
But, the highlight of his association with cricket will be the successful campaign of the Indian side in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. After a long gap of 28 years, India managed to win the World Cup. Kirsten had excellent man-management skills as he created a team of legends and upcoming superstars. After his stint with India, he went on to coach the South Africa national team till 2013.
1 John Buchanan, Australia(1999-2007)
Imagine coaching the best players in the world. Adding on, imagine working with a legendary captain like Ricky Ponting who wants you to make the best possible playing eleven. Well, it looks like a tough job for anyone. But John Buchanan managed to coach the Aussie squad to World Cup victories in 2003 and 2007.
John is widely regarded as the greatest coach in the history of the game. He was appointed as the head coach of the Australian cricket team in October 1999. Under his management, Australia won the Champions Trophy in 2006. Australia became the most dominant team of the decade, with Ponting achieving heights.
Later on, in 2007, John stepped down as the coach of the team. As IPL was becoming the next big thing in 2008, he was appointed as the coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. During the Ashes series in 2010-2011, he was appointed as the consultant of the English team. Later on, he was the Director of Cricket for New Zealand in 2013.
