Dean Jones : Players should be allowed to have personal coaches on tours
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Dean Jones is of the opinion that a mentor would have helped Glenn Maxwell make better choices after the Australian all-rounder got into trouble for speaking his mind. Former Test batsman Jones has also advocated the need for players to have personal coaches on tours.
Maxwell was criticised by Australia coach Darren Lehmann and skipper Steven Smith after he told the media that batting below captain-wicketkeeper Matthew Wade for Victoria was the reason he did not get a recall for the third and final Test against South Africa last month.
The all-rounder was left out of the ODI team that beat New Zealand in the first game on Dec 4.
“I think he really needs a mentor. I don't want my sportsmen to come out of cookie moulds. I want them to have a personality and be able to say what they want, but I don't think that was the right forum for him to do it. He's got enough charisma in the way he plays. At the top of his game, he's in our team,
“But the fact remains that I think he needs a mentor, whether that be Chris Rogers, or Michael Hussey or Mark Taylor or someone like that, who he could speak to and vent. I often did with Stacky (former Australia opener Keith Stackpole) or my dad, get it off your chest and then say 'okay, this is what we need to do',” ESPNcricinfo quoted him as saying.
“I don't think you can be successful in international cricket without having someone you can speak honestly and candidly too. He's a bit of a repeat offender and that's hurting people. Now, is he worth working for? Yep, I think he is, he's got a lot to offer. (Ravichandran) Ashwin hates bowling to him, that's a fact... but he needs to get some runs.”
Jones also argued in favour of players having personal coaches on tours to have a greater consistency in advice.
“I'm starting to think now, they get paid so much money, are we getting like golf and tennis where I'd have had Stacky in my hip pocket on a contract and flying around wherever I need him?” Jones said.
“The money's there and it's a tax deduction for the players. The selectors pick you because they like you as a player. Then, you go to a different coach, a different batting coach... how many coaches do they go through before they play for Australia? You want consistency in people around you to help get you where you want to go and protect you as much as you can. I think it's going to get that way.
“Can I go to Darren Lehmann as a coach and say ‘I can't hit the ball off the square, I'm struggling’, well, do this, go do that. But then, he takes the coach's hat off, puts the selector's on and says, 'can't pick him because he's struggling'. Is that the environment we want? It happened with me.”
