A MINUTE WITH MIN
One of only a handful of British Asian county cricketers in the 1990s, Min Patel has now firmly established himself as a top coach, currently leading the Kent Second XI side and supporting England Under-19s as a spin bowling coach. Here he recalls his journey to coaching’ s top table, before sharing his expertise.
“ I don’ t tend to have much kudos as an ex-professional these days, but I actually like having a reputation based on my ability as a coach, not what I did as a player.”
My coaching career began over 10 years ago with some school holiday coaching for kids and took off from there really – the more I did it the more I enjoyed it!
I became a spin coach at Middlesex but I’ ve always seen myself as a more rounded coach than that, and my current role allows me to work with players on all areas of their game.
I don’ t tend to have much kudos as an ex-professional these days – half the guys I’ m coaching weren’ t born when I was playing! – but I actually like having a reputation based on my ability as a coach, not what I did as a player. Hopefully, when I’ m helping them to understand game dynamics, or passages of play, my playing experience adds to the insights and advice I can give.
The game has obviously evolved since I played, but the way I coach is determined solely by each individual in front of me. If I’ m working with someone who looks best suited to four-day cricket, I’ m not going to spend all my time on limited-overs skills, even though it’ s the trend for players to look that way at the moment.
I certainly find myself coaching things which no coach would have considered when I was playing. The way batters approach the game, the skills required of bowlers, the way fielders stand – that’ s all changed since I played, and it’ s still evolving. We could be looking at 10-ball overs soon and other new features to get your head around as a player and coach.
I try to keep things player-led, allowing them the opportunity to learn from failure. Accepting failure is such an important part of a player’ s journey, you can’ t put too much pressure on mistakes. We’ ve got to make them and we’ ve got to learn from them. The more hands-on you get as a coach the longer it takes the player to learn for themselves.
That’ s easier at this level than at a local level, where you’ ll often have one net a week and one game day, so there may be more of a need to explain errors for them, not let them work it out for themselves so much.
12 Hitting the Seam Issue 39