By Cricket is one of the most popular games played throughout the world. The Englishmen first introduced cricket, which originated in England. Today this game is played worldwide, in teams from all the countries, including Australia, England, India, South Africa and West Indies.
Like every other game, the coach is important in this game too. They play an important role in every team’s success. The Coach plays every role, from overall match strategy and player analysis to working on weaknesses to motivate the player. This article will discuss the top 5 most successful cricket coaches of all time.
1. John Buchanan
John Buchanan is the most successful coach in the history of cricket when it comes to winning an ICC title. John is widely known as Ned Flanders as he looks like a character from ‘The Simpson’.
He changed the fate of Australian cricket; a team that performed on average until 1998, has won 3 successive ICC titles. Under John’s guidance, the Australian Cricket team won their first ICC title in 2003 as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
After that, the Australian Cricket team never looked back and became the deadliest side in cricket. They won the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, and ICC Champions Trophy in 2006.
2. Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirtan is a retired South African professional cricketer who earned as much fame as a cricket coach than as a cricketer. He started his international coaching career as the coach of the India National Team. On March 1, 2008, he joined the Indian Camp as the head coach.
Within a year, he completely changed the dynamics of the Indian team. Under his coaching, India lifted his second World Cup after a long interval of 28 years. India also won multiple international tours under his guidance and reached the 2008 Asia Cup and Kitply Cup finals.
He is considered as the “The best thing to happen to Indian cricket”. After saying goodbye to India in 2011, he joined South Africa as head coach on 5 June 2011.
3. John Wright
John Wright started his professional cricketing career as an opening batsman from the New Zealand team. Wright was one of the top-most batsmen during his era. Due to his unorthodox playing style, he was named “Shake”. He started his international coaching at Kent County Cricket Club. Later, in 2000, he was appointed the head coach of the Indian National Cricket team. From 2000 to 2005, he built a foundation for all the rising stars of Indian cricket.
Under his tenure, India defeated Cricket Giant Australia in the home test series. Also, India, with its outrageous playing techniques and strategies, reached the finals of the ICC 2003 World Cup. Though Team India did not win the Final, he impacted the cricket world with their playing strategies.
4. Duncan Fletcher
Who wouldn’t know Duncan Fletcher? Hardly any coach would have earned him more fame than him in modern-day cricket. He was the skipper of the Zimbabwe national team in the 1982 ICC Trophy and led his team to Victory.
In 1999 he joined the England National Cricket team as a head coach. Under his guidance, England reclaimed the Ashes after 18 years. Fletcher was honoured with the Order of the British Empire in 2005.
In 2007, he was appointed as the head coach of the Indian National Cricket team and continued the legacy made by Gary Kirsten. Under Fletcher’s tenure, India’s national team has won 8 international series victories, including the 2013 Champions Trophy title.
5. Andy Flower
Andy Flower, a Zimbabwean cricketer and professional cricket coach, is still considered one of the greatest batsmen in the world of cricket. Andy started his international coaching career as an international England National Cricket team coach. However, in 2009 he was appointed the England team’s head coach.
Under his coaching, the English national cricket team won the ICC World Cup Twenty20 title of 2012. He became the second cricket coach after Duncan Fletcher to receive the Officer of the Order of the British Empire. The England national cricket team won three times in 2009, 2011, and 2013 during his tenure.
