Mumbai: Former India batsman Vinod Kambli
today said that he took up to coaching on the advice of his
friend and one-time team-mate Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar and Kambli were students of famed coach
Ramakant Achrekar and both went to play for India and their
friendship was well known to all.
And Kambli credited Tendulkar for bringing him back on a
cricket field, not as a player but as a coach.
"When I retired from cricket, it had occurred to me, now
what, I thought will do commentary or I was a expert on TV,
But my love has always been cricket, so I got on to the
field," Kambli said.
The former left handed batsman was speaking to reporters
after a cricket coaching academy was launched at the Bandra
Kurla Complex of the Mumbai Cricket Association, where Kambli
will be conducting the sessions.
"Sachin (Tendulkar) knows how much I love cricket, so he
said to me why don't you start coaching, so I would say that I
have embarked a path which he (Tendulkar) has shown and I have
started on it," Kambli, the first Indian to score two back to
back double hundreds, told reporters here.
"So I would say that he (Tendulkar) has a big hand in
bringing me back on to the field. Whatever we have learnt from
(Ramakant) Achrekar Sir, so I think the time has come, that to
pass it on to the next generation, if the youngsters can take
advantage of this, it will be great," Kambli, known for his
flamboyant batting, added.
According to Kambli, he would like to inculcate the
values which he learnt from Achrekar to his students.
"I would like to inculcate the values what Achrekar Sir
has passed on specially getting the basis right all the time,
whether you are playing for the school, or Ranji Trophy or for
your country," Kambli said.
"(The) one thing which I always remember which I am going
to pass on to the students, usually people say practice makes
a man perfect but my coach (Achrekar) Sir used to say perfect
practice makes a man perfect, so that's how me and Sachin and
all his students work towards having a perfect practice," he
quipped.
He said the role of a coach was 30 per cent and that of
the players was 70 per cent.
Asked how important was Vidharbha coach Chandrakant
Pandit's role in their maiden Ranji Trophy win, Kambli said,
"Chandu, every body knows, he has been my coach as well,
really enjoyed playing under him, all I can say is that 30 per
cent is the (role of) coach and 70 per cent is the player but
that 30 per cent is equal to 100 per cent.
PTI
