Sri Lankans must develop mental toughness like Aussies - Trevor Penny

by Ranjan Anandappa

CRICKET: Zimbabwean double international Trevor Penny who has been appointed as the Sri Lanka cricket coach for the forthcoming tour to Sri Lanka of the Bangladesh cricket team is determined to continue from where his mentor Tom Moody left and is keen in knitting the side into one fighting unit.

The Bangladesh team is scheduled to arrive on June 17 and they will play three Tests and an equal number of one-dayers during their 41-day stay in the Island.

At the moment, the Sri Lanka team is scattered with some players in England and the others playing in the Afro-Asia Championship in India.

"Once when we are in a position to muster all the players, may be in a week or so, the practice sessions in proper could commence. Anyway, it's good to note, that all the players will be involved in cricket somewhere which is very good for the players," said Penny.

The preparations will be just like it was in the past two years, and the team will be getting a sports psychologist Sandy Gordon from Perth next week and the team should be fully prepared to get the best side.

"Definitely, I am going to start from where Tom left, but unfortunately I got three months to do it. I definitely didn't want to leave this job, but my family needs me and it's a different story. I want to continue the way exactly how Tom did, because we really worked together and the coaching methods were the same.

So I am going to continue on that track. Mahela is a very,very good captain and I get on well with him, so there is nothing different really," coach Penny said.

When asked while coaching a side with top world class players what should a coach instil in the players. Penny thought for a moment and then said: "Well, I have been coaching for a few years, and I am not the master of coaching. What Tom and I have done is to develop the person, the character as well as the cricketing aspect. Once we came here players were in and out of the side and they were unsure of their places which creates tension. At times they get a bit selfish, but in the last two years we kept a similar squad and they developed their game, skills and personality and it's been a treat really because when we just got the team the way we wanted, it is unfortunate that we got to leave."

"Everyone is different from the other. Some like to do more computer work and in different styles that's the style we are use to and certainly, we are going to continue in that style in the next three months' the coach said and added that still the Sri Lankans have to develop their mental toughness.

"The mental toughness of the Australians is a classic example - and they have never lost it. If they are 5 down for 20, someone would come and get a hundred. The Sri Lankans were catching up with the Aussies in this aspect, but talentwise, the Lankans are as good as anyone in the world. So, it's about the mental pressure that has come a long, long way as we saw in the World Cup. We saw some tough situations and we got to keep working on that and keeping the same squad and make the guys confident.

When asked what was the success behind the team which reached the World Cup final, Penny said that he believed that retention of the same team was a crucial factor. The reason behind this was because when we went there, everybody was a huge unit and the team had the self belief which was very important as they had some bad times over the last two years.

Two years ago in India we didn't do well, but we never panicked, because we always believed that we were working hard. We did not think of the results, we thought about just the process, which meant practising what we can do off the field and on it.

He said that the combination of Mahela and his deputy Kumar Sangakkara is great. What you find in Mahela is that he is equal to the seniors and juniors which is quite unusual in this part of the world. He is very positive and leads by example.

Sangakkara is an ultimate professional. I don't think I have ever seen anyone practising as much as him. So these are two guys that players just want to follow and plus Sangakkara is very astute on the field and Mahela makes good decisions.

Marvan, before that was different, he was good as well. But it was a nice change at the time with the youngsters coming in and Mahela really got them involved in the team.

Penny rated Bangladesh as a dangerous team.

"They beat India and South Africa in the World Cup and beat us over a year ago in a one-day game.

So they are very dangerous. They have improved one hundred percent and they could still be hot and cold.

They have some decent fast bowlers and their spinners look very good and we should play our best side cannot take them lightly anymore like in a couple of years ago".