Intensity and balance key to success in T20s, reckons Paul Nixon
Former England wicket-keeper Paul Nixon believes that intensity and balance are the main aspects for achieving success in T20s. A two-time CPL champion himself, Nixon has now signed up as the coach of Bangladesh Premier League side Chattogram Challengers and is looking forward to the new season.
A handy wicket-keeper batsman down the order for England, Paul Nixon was one of those cricketers whose career bloomed late. Nixon, a two-time winner of the Carribean Premier League as a coach, has now has signed up as the head coach of Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League and is looking forward to the new challenge.
"I watched BPL on TV for many years. As an ex-player and now as a coach, that kind of curriculum is always exciting. It is a great honour to be out here," Nixon told Cricbuzz.
"You know some of the local Bangladesh guys have been doing so well. Just had a tough time in India, who have got a high-class attack. But to come here and feel the pressure and energy, it's wonderful," he further added.
Being a two-time CPL champion himself, albeit as a coach, Nixon shed light on some of the qualities that he believed were crucial to becoming a champion.
"It takes preparation. It takes hard work, attitude, and guys with a match-winning attitude with the bat and ball. It is as simple as that. People who think well under pressure are the ones who deliver because if you are thinking right, you are likely to perform better in tough conditions," Nixon revealed.
Nixon's career was more like that of a late bloomer, with him getting his England debut very late due to the presence of stalwarts like Alec Stewart and James Foster. However, he did not give up and kept on putting in the hard yards and Nixon reflected on the struggles he had to go through to make it to the very top.Â
"I wanted to be the best I could be every day. I always believed I wanted to play international cricket. Alex Stewart was a legend for England and he kept me out there for many years," Nixon said.
"Somebody said to me, as a 36-year-old you make your debut, you go to Australia, you win the series in Australia, and you go to the World Cup in the West Indies. It was my dream to play for England. Because it's the sacrifice you made. Your family made sacrifices to make you this. It's humbling. You got one chance and you gotta make sure you gave your best every day," he concluded.
