John Buchanan

Chittagong: John Buchanan, Australia’s coach when it was No.1 and dominated in all forms of cricket, spoke to The Telegraph from New Zealand on Thursday evening.

Buchanan has gone there to watch one of his sons, Nick, play in the U-19 World Cup. Nick’s a right-arm quick.

The following are excerpts

Q Just how significant are rankings, be it No.1 or No.10?

A It adds some interest to the status of teams, but must be treated only as a snapshot view. If a team can retain its ranking or improve over a period of time (say, three or four years), then it gives a truer indication of the quality of that team.

Your take on India being No.1 in Tests...

As I have said, whether it be India or Australia, or any other team, it can only be recognised as a true No. 1 if it can retain that standing over three-four years, which means it would have played in all countries at least once, home and away, and retained its consistency and quality.

Is greatness to be measured by rankings alone?

Certainly not, it is only one measure, but when using rankings, one must subscribe to what I have mentioned and not just see it as a snapshot. Other measures of greatness would be the world records a team sets; individuals within that team who are recognised as greats.

During your tenure, how did Australia handle the No.1 position for so many years?

I honestly do not think it was a distraction for us, we simply tried to be our best in every Test. We were nominated for the Laureus world team awards no less than five times, winning once.

Surely, the pressure is more on the No.1s...

Only if the team in question chooses to allow the notion of being the No.1 to become a distraction to team performance!

How should such pressure be handled?

By treating every circumstance, every match as the next and only challenge. Great teams seek the best possible opposition and the most difficult circumstances to demonstrate how good their individual and team skills are.

What goes into the making of a No.1 team?

A huge amount... Creating a clear vision and having a strategic approach; having the talent, finding it, nurturing it... Developing it and never being satisfied with it... Developing a strong leadership culture through a ‘learning environment’, which is giving all people (players and support staff) the chance to grow through learning and leadership experiences... Understanding what success means and developing process-measures for success.

Is staying No.1 the bigger challenge?

No... Being No.1 is only an outcome of doing what I have talked about.

What would be your message for Team India?

It is a long journey... Recognise that the team is currently doing well, but be honest enough to acknowledge the many things in and around the team that are not right and address those with energy and purpose.

In your view, what are the areas it needs to improve in?

That is not for me to say... If they are totally honest with each other, the coach, other support staff and the players will know the answer.

When can Australia regain the No.1 position in Test cricket?

By my definition, it will take time, at least three-four years from now. In terms of a snapshot view, they may do so within two years.

Did you follow the Australia-Pakistan series? Your thoughts?

Not too closely, but the series showed the difference between sides which have relatively equal amounts of skill, but Australia showed far more discipline in the application of those skills. Pakistan had some good sessions and even good days, but were unable to sustain the discipline of applying their skills.

How are you keeping yourself busy?

I am doing my Buchanan Success Coaching business, working with corporate clients on leadership, on how to create and sustain High Performance Teams... And, indeed, how to coach for success...

Is KKR out of your system?

No... I shared a vision with the owners about what KKR would be and it is still very disappointing that I will not be a part of its future... I think we laid an excellent platform for the future, even though the results, apart from our last three games of IPL 2009, did not show it.

The final one... Had you still been involved with KKR, would you have gone for Shane Bond, who has been prone to injuries right through his career?

Bond is a very good bowler still, albeit he is coming to the end of his most lethal days... (Exclusively) Playing 20-over cricket may extend his effectiveness... KKR have, with this purchase, sought to look only at the short-term — to 2010, that is. It is an understandable reaction to what happened last year, with respect to the results (finishing last)... This is not the vision I shared with the owners when I became involved with KKR... It was to take time to build something very special over a three to five-year period...