In demand and it pays too!

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If Down Under is the prime `poaching spot' for coaches and support staff with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees, `Down South' has now become the hot hub for Ranji Trophy sides yearning for that vital edge in the think-tank.

With Dodda Ganesh's recent appointment as Goa coach, the current crop of Ranji `outstation coaches' from Karnataka has swelled to an unprecedented tally of five.

Sanath Kumar (Baroda) and Sunil Joshi (Hyderabad) were already perched in the hot seat while Sujith Somasundar has been roped in by Kerala this season. But the most high profile face among the quintet is former India pacer and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad, who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh, a `coup d'etat' by the 2005-06 champions, for more reasons than one.

Deconstructing the fresh trend, Prasad, also the KSCA vice president and Royal Challengers Bangalore assistant coach hit the nail on the head: “It points to the rich cricketing tradition of the state. Karnataka have always produced high-quality cricketers and this is just a corollary.

It also shows the intention of the respective associations to embrace professionalism and make a mark.”
With the exception of Sanath, the other four are all internationals and interestingly, all are bowlers, save for Somasundar.

For Prasad, who was highly productive with the Indian team before being unceremoniously sacked in late 2009, coaching a first class side is not a climb down but a stepping stone to the bigger goal. “My ambition is to coach the Indian team. My stint with the senior team was an enjoyable experience and the team did well too,” said Prasad candidly.

Prasad’s fellow KSCA managing committee member Somasundar quit his job with an IT major to take up the Kerala role but the former opener is taking a bagful of valuable tools from the corporate world to the dressing room.

“I have handled the learning and development programme where man-management is vital. In the Kerala team, there is no dearth of talent. What they require is self-belief and mental toughness,” opined Somasundar.

The Mangalore-born Sanath has climbed up the ladder the hard way — coaching juniors, supervising camps at the National Cricket Academy among other tasks – before a sensational first season in-charge of Karnataka sky-rocketed his profile following which Baroda netted him in a lucrative deal.

Without doubt remuneration has become the talking point in the Ranji coaching circuit and Somasundar underscored the value of good pay.

“When you're paid well, the accountability factor comes into the picture. But nothing works without the love for the game,” he said.

Ganesh, however, had a different take. “For me, it's about the honour of coaching a first class side where you can utilise your experience of playing in different conditions and pass on that knowledge to the youngsters. I can probably earn more in some other job but the competitive atmosphere and strategic manoeuvring that a coaching job provides is unmatchable,” noted Ganesh.

Joshi, who has put in 19 years in the domestic cricket, took to coaching like fish to water. Not surprisingly, the international tag helps in getting the breakthrough. “If you're an international, it comes as a plus in the initial stages and they enjoy a slight edge too. But over a longer period, only the performance of the team counts and not your reputation,” opined Sanath.

“Karnataka are in good hands. JAK (batting coach) and MAK (bowling coach) were chosen by a committee comprising eminent cricketers. The duo has their strengths and is bound to do well,” said Venkatesh Prasad, UP coach.