Pavilion Conversations with C. S

Anyone with the guts to title their book "The Fast Bowler's Bible" must know what they are talking about, right? If that person's name is Ian Pont, then yes, they are not all talk and no substance. Look, anyone who gets a glowing mention in Shoaib Akhtar's book as a coach who had an impact on his bowling has to be worth their weight in gold. And it is not just Shoaib whom Pont has coached with great results, add Dale Steyn to that list. Ponty runs one of the most respected coaching schools when it comes to fast bowling.

From being a replacement player to one of the most respected coaches in South African, that is the story of Michael Smith. Smith coached at age-group level cricket with successful spells with Maritzburg and Grey Colleges to professional cricket with KZN Inland and Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League.

In 2018 Heinrich Malan lost the opportunity to succeed Mike Hesson as the new coach of the Black Caps. It is a setback that he took in stride, never been one to brood about missed opportunities. And now three years later he is back in the Black Caps set up, this time as an assistant coach, called in by the man who beat him to the top job, Gary Stead.

Malan, has won a significant number of titles in New Zealand with Central Districts Stags and with his current side Auckland Aces. The Pretoria-born coach has been coaching for as long as he can remember.

Not many cricketers can play up to 20 seasons of professional cricket, and that is the milestone that Farhaan Behardien is aiming for. It does not look too far off, he has played 18 so far and is about to play in his 19th season. In this episode, Fudgie - the kid from the Cape Flats - takes me through his entry into cricket, a career threatening injury, social media and the importance of having the right team environment for players to perform at their best. We also touched on the IPL, very briefly.

Eric Simons is one of only two former South African players and active coaches to lift an ODI World Cup trophy. He did so with India alongside Gary Kirsten with India in 2011. Kirsten was head coach of the Indian ODI side while Simons was the bowling coach. A big believer in the power of influence in building teams, Simons discusses his philosophy and methods in this episode of the Idea-Sharing Project.

● On motivation: “I derive a lot of joy and satisfaction in knowing that I have done a great job in the development of a player.”

● On always learning: “Everything is a learning experience.

A conversation that touches on the days he used to be looked at weirdly, climbing trees in an attempt to get a good shot of the pitch and capture valuable data, to the days when his value began to be appreciated and respected by teams and fans. His relationship with Proteas players both from the present and the past.

P Dogg, as Prasanna Lara is known, was the Proteas men's team's performance analyst from 2011 to 2021.

ICC Hall of Famer, Allan Donald shares his journey from his playing days to his new chapter as a coach.

When he decided to pursue coaching: “I made a decision when I was still playing, I just didn’t know in what capacity…”

Awareness of your abilities: A lot of players do not make good coaches. They might have all the knowledge, but they might not have the skill to transfer that.

On Motivation: It’s so gratifying, so satisfying when you know you have made a difference in someone’s life, in someone’s career.

On Bad Apples: You are always going to get bad eggs, bad apples, bad toffees… and they drag the team down. And you have to be straight with them so that they don’t destroy the culture you are trying to build.

To read a little bit more on Allan Donald, check out this brief profile of him: Allan Donald.

Wiggo, as Tim Wigmore is known by a lot of people within the sports-writing community, and cricket circles, is one of those guys you can just down with for a chat. Knowledgeable, easy to chat with and always ready to share what he has learnt along the way.

To learn more about Tim Wigmore, here is a brief profile about him: Tim Wigmore.

South Africa men’s cricket national team assistant coach, Enoch Nkwe, is an individual beloved by many because of his outlook and approach to both the sport and the team. Empathetic and attentive, it is easy to see why he has achieved such a significant number of milestones in a relatively young coaching career. Forced to stop playing professional cricket very early into a promising career, Enoch looks destined for greater accomplishments in the future.

On leadership: “True leadership is not about authority, it’s about developing people and helping them reach their full potential.”

On culture: “Consistency is key. Once there is consistency, everybody starts to believe and see the benefits of it. The benefits shouldn’t be centred around the results of the culture, it should just be about living the culture.”

On dressing-room environment: “My duty as a coach is to create an environment where my team members have the courage to be themselves.”

On the team: “I have always been a team person. I have always wanted the team to do well. Everything is centred around the team for me.”

To read more on Enoch Nkwe, check out this brief profile of him on chadwickdrive.com

Morgs, as Grant Morgan is affectionately known, is one of South Africa's most successful and respected cricket coaches. One of the few to have coached at every level of the game, from amateur cricket to international cricket.