Greg Chappell on Coaching - Review

Aurum Press RRP £12.99 ISBN: 1845130952

In 1958 Sir Donald Bradman wrote the definitive guide to coaching called "The Art of Cricket". The book widely recognised as the best book ever written on cricket coaching has largely been un-challenged until now with the release of Greg Chappell's "Chappell on Coaching".

Before looking at the book in more depth, let's take a look at what gives Greg the credentials to put together such a book.

Gregory Stephen Chappell was born on August 7, 1948 in Unley, Adelaide, South Australia. As a right-hand middle-order batsman, he played for Australia, Queensland, Somerset and South Australia.

He was educated at the Prince Alfred College in Adelaide and as far as cricket is concerned his grandfather Vic Richardson, elder brother Ian Chappell and younger bother Trevor Chappell all played for Australia.

Greg played 87 Tests for Australia, scored 7,110 runs at an average of 53.86. These runs included 24 centuries and 31 half-centuries and 122 catches. He also represented Australia in 74 one-day internationals, scoring 2331 runs at an average of 40.18. These runs included three hundreds and 14 half-centuries and 23 catches.

His overall first-class record is 321matches 542 innings 72 not outs 24,535 runs, a highest Test and first class score of 247 not out and an overall average of 52.20. In all, he scored 74 centuries and 111 fifties. Together with Ian Frazer he launched chappellway on the internet, a website that allows fellow members and coaches throughout the world to air their views on methods of coaching used in all sports today.

The book is a comprehensive look at coaching Chappell style, with the emphasis on five 'critical pathways to success'. They are: core principals of movement, how the brain works, the learning environment, organising for success and finally leadership. Each of these critical pathways is dealt with in great detail through the course of the book.

Frazer and Chappell spent days locked away in a hotel room looking at videos from past masters and the way they played the game hoping to learn more on their approach to the game, balance and movement to name but a few objectives.

One of the main areas Greg is keen to get across is the importance of having fun and enjoying yourself. If you don't enjoy what you are doing then you are less likely to learn or improve your skills in whatever you do.

Chappell goes to great length to use players who have played the game at the top level in an unstructured, intuitive style. These included Bradman, Ponsford, Larwood and Trumper. As I mentioned earlier, the book covers a lot of subjects in great detail and is aimed at players of all standards from the beginner to the professional. He talks about training required for batsmen, bowlers and fielders, how a player should approach training allowing for regular and match practice. Simple things such as training in wider nets and playing to a field.

Greg covers a plethora of subjects in the book ranging from the importance of learning as a child, training regimes including examples, leadership and the ‘subtle’ technique of holding your bat correctly. Taking the latter point, we learn that “comfort and balance are two essential ingredients to being able to play well, so grip and stance are very important”

In one of his chapters on the “learning environment” Greg uses the key example of England and Worcestershire’s Graeme Hick. Due to his (Hick) ineligibility to play for England for sevens years after leaving Zimbabwe, Hick missed out on the invaluable learning curve he would surely have faced outside his comfort zone of County Cricket. He struggled against the continual short ball when he came into contact with the West Indies and despite net after net with Tim Curtis (who threw down short pitched tennis balls at him), he never recovered. Had he played Test cricket at the age of 19 when he was ready, I have no doubt that he would have learned to combat this shortfall in his defence (and others). Who knows he might have been a world beater on the biggest stage of all.

As I mentioned earlier in my review, although the book is comprehensive and full to the brim of facts, hints and information for all types and standard, you never, as a reader feel bogged down as you make your way effortlessly from cover to cover.

There is far too much information in the book to cover in this review, however, the ability to pick up the book and read any chapter in any order is one of its strengths. In conclusion “Greg Chappell on Coaching” is an invaluable resource for both players and coaches alike. No matter what the age or standard, the book reaches out on all levels. Certainly worth the asking price and comes highly recommended.

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