If you are a ‘90s kid, you must have grown up on a healthy dose of Heath Streak, one of the most famous all-rounders of his time. The Zimbabwean is now a Calcuttan too, as part of Kolkata Knight Riders. t2 caught up with the KKR bowling coach at ITC Sonar.
Welcome to Calcutta and Kolkata Knight Riders! What are you expecting?
Yeah, obviously very excited. It is a franchise that has got a lot of history and so to come into an established franchise like this will be very different to how it was in Gujarat (Lions)... so highly excited about it. There are some fantastic players, some really good backing and coaching staff.
What do you think of the new-look KKR?
Yes, obviously, there are a few faces from before but I am really looking forward to be working with Dinesh Karthik (KKR skipper). I was lucky enough to be with him at Gujarat. He is not just a good player but a good friend… loves the game, is very passionate, has been batting superbly playing for India as well, so I think as coaching staff, we will be lucky to have someone like him. I think we work well together. And I think just all the players we have… guys like Chris Lynn, (Sunil) Narine, Andre Russell, Kuldeep (Yadav), Piyush (Chawla), Vinay (Kumar)… we have got Robin (Uthappa) who has been a highly successful batsman here for KKR.
Eden Gardens must be a special ground...
Very excited, especially the conditions in the last few years have assisted the pace bowlers, so that is very exciting. So, hopefully some of these guys we have got in our squad can use those conditions. We have got very good pace bowlers and I think in Piyush, Kuldeep and Narine, we have got three spinners who can bowl well in any condition, irrespective of where we are. So, I think we have got a well-balanced bowling unit and I am very excited to be working with them. I think I am luckier than most bowling coaches in IPL in terms of resources that we have at our disposal in the bowling department.
Who is your favourite cricketer from the current crop of players?
Oh I love AB de Villiers. He, I suppose, is probably my favourite guy… you know what he does and also Virat (Kohli). I think the two of them… unbelievable players! Virat plays with a lot of passion and that resonates with me and having played for my country for so long, I like the passion and commitment that he shows in the field. There are other players around the world that I follow… you know the English players… guys like Ben Stokes and people playing the game as all-rounders… which I was... so yeah lots of cricketers that I admire but probably these three stand out.
Who is your all-time favourite cricketer?
Jeez! That is a very tough question. Probably Sachin (Tendulkar), not just because of how he played but how he was as a person. Sachin, for his achievements, was very level-headed and is a good role model for people around the world. He used to punish me and hit me around the field a few times, but, I just loved his energy and I thought he was a great person for young people to aspire to be like, not only as a cricketer but also as a person.
Do you have a favourite cricket ground?
Aah... tough one. Favourite cricket ground… Lord’s. I was fortunate enough to play at Lord’s and do well there... just... the history, it was always my dream from when I was young to play at Lord’s. But there are many cricket grounds around the world, I think. I never got to play for Zimbabwe at Eden Gardens but to play at Eden Gardens in front of a full house, then Melbourne Cricket Ground when there is a full house is just brilliant. And Cape Town is just one of the most picturesque grounds you will play in.
What are the ingredients that make a good fast bowler?
Well, apart from the physical attributes that you need to bowl fast, I think the attitude. Fast bowling is hard… it’s hard on the body, it’s hard on you mentally and to have that determination and that grit, that desire to get wickets and to come back after being hit for a four or a bad spell, to come back and turn it around, I think those are the main things. You see most successful fast bowlers, they hate failure and they wanna come back and prove themselves. So that grit and determination is the stuff I like to see in a fast bowler.
How has life been post retirement?
Very different, obviously. As a player you have got a lot of control on what happens on the field. But life afterwards, you know… coaching is fun but you’ve got to put your trust in players. Obviously, I get a lot more time to spend with my family which I have loved. That is a nice part post cricket. But like I said earlier, cricket is in your blood, so it is part of my DNA and I have to somehow always be around cricket.
How do you like to relax?
Well, normally with my family and watching a bit of Netflix and stuff like that. I also enjoy fishing back home so that is something I do. My son is also very sporty, so we do a lot of stuff together. We are kicking a ball together, or we are throwing at the nets and things like that. Lots of things. And my daughter is into horse riding.
What are you watching on Netflix now?
Well, quite a few things. Shooter… I watch a couple of other series that I only pick up because my kids are watching actually. Stranger Things is another one that I have been watching. My problem is that I tend to watch them all and finish them too quickly and then I have to look for the next thing.
