First class cricketer-turned-coach Gautam Dutta with an Assam Cricket Academy trainee at Nehru Stadium on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, June 26: Psychological conditioning is as important an ingredient of success at the highest level as talent — this is the message Assam Cricket Academy coaches Gautam Dutta and Subhrajit Saikia are sending out to youngsters hoping to blossom into cricketers of international repute.

The two former first class cricketers, who were appointed as coaches of the academy last month, are aiming to produce at least one senior international cricketer from Assam.

“For a coach, nothing can be a more satisfying experience than seeing his boys steal the show at the international level. We are determined to give shape to our dream,” they told The Telegraph.

The coaches said they would teach young cricketers the skills they had picked up under the guidance of some renowned coaches — from India and abroad — during their playing days.

“It is a Herculean task and the job of a coach is tougher than that of a player. Nevertheless, it is a challenging task. Nurturing a young talent and helping him grow up into a star cricketer is a satisfying job,” Saikia said when asked about his new role.

According to the duo, youngsters in the state have the potential to make it big in the international circuit.

“Even if one is a talented cricketer, he cannot use his potential to the hilt unless he is mentally tough. Sadly, our boys lack that,” Saikia said.

“We are now training the under-15 and under-17 boys to make them psychologically strong. That is why we have done away with the shorter version for youngsters at the academy. A steady innings at the crease requires a tough mindset. Besides giving them on-the-field lessons, we are teaching them theories.”

Dutta, who has been assigned as a coach for pace bowlers, said there was never any dearth of talented medium pacers in the state. “There is no reason why we will not be able to produce pace bowlers of international standard.”

“We never got the kind of guidance and facilities the youngsters are getting today. I was fortunate to get a few valuable tips from some big names from other parts of the world which helped me improve my bowling action. I feel today’s generation does not lack talent. What they need is guidance,” Dutta said.

They thanked the Assam Cricket Association for reviving the Assam Cricket Academy and providing them an opportunity to “share our knowledge with the youngsters”.

Left-arm seamer Dutta, with a haul of 142 wickets from 53 first class matches played between 1989 and 2005, is so far the highest wicket-taker for Assam. Saikia scored 2,023 runs in 43 first class matches played between 1993 and 2005.