Cricket: ‘India need a firmer hand’

JOHANNESBURG: India coach Duncan Fletcher faces a dilemma after player power and a lack of discipline helped account for India's loss to England, according to former South Africa captain Kepler Wessels. "The general consensus is that Fletcher was appointed as long as he continued with the same coaching style as Gary Kirsten,” said Wessels. “The senior players wanted Gary to stay on, but when that didn't happen, they wanted a like-for-like replacement. Gary allowed the senior players to run the show. But then the team arrived in England totally unprepared, there was no dedicated approach and no hunger. India need a much firmer hand, superstars or not." Wessels said Fletcher was now 'between a rock and a hard place'."If he agreed to go with the Kirsten approach, he could not change now. The situation is crying out for more control and a firm hand."

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2011.