Coach Aftab moving towards elite level

Not every coach can go through the levels. We have 30 coaches in the camp but there are at least 400 to 500 coaches out there and it's not possible for them to go through the coaching levels.

During his playing days, Aftab Ahmed had been one of Bangladesh's more courageous batters while the team were still finding their feet in the international Stage. Following his playing career, the former national batter ventured into coaching and had established his own academy before serving as a batting coach for Bangla Tigers currently. As one who enjoys coaching, Aftab divulged on the Level 2 coaching course and of late had undergone a program initiated by the BCB's coach education and game development department. The popular player turned coach shared his experiences with The Daily Star's Abdullah Al Mehdi.

The Daily Star (DS): Tell us about the Level 2 coaching program.

Aftab Ahmed (AA): Here, all coaches have completed level-one coaching. There's a lot to learn from level two and we have come to understand there is no limit to learning. When we finish the six-day session and take the knowledge back to work for one to one-and-a-half years, our quality will definitely rise.

DS: What about the environment in the camp?

AA: When I went through level one, I learned a lot. You see, playing-career and coaching-career is completely different. Playing career is for yourself and coaching career is for everything. You have to know how to handle 15 players or 50 players and you have to possess the ability. Suppose someone isn't scoring runs and since batting is a sensitive aspect, if you can't tell properly what's happening, it can destroy one's career but if you can do it properly, it will help a player move up. If I have to work at the elite level, these coaching levels would assist a lot.

DS: What is it like working with coaches like Rangana Herath?

AA: I used to understand spin pretty well since I was a batter. I haven't bowled spin so when I arrived here, of course I had to know about spin.  Suppose, I'm working in club cricket and there aren't specialist spin coaches there working in an academy, four-day cricket or BPL, I have to know those things.

Herath made us aware of many aspects of spin. For example, one important aspect was how to bowl in Tests, what your variations will be and the loop of the deliveries. He added insights to bowling on flat tracks and how to get wickets on such surfaces, that kind of thing. He covered most of the things and it's not possible to cover everything in a day but he tried to do as much as possible.

DS: Would it be possible to develop a structure?

AA: Not every coach can go through the levels. We have 30 coaches in the camp but there are at least 400 to 500 coaches out there and it's not possible for them to go through the coaching levels. If it was possible to give the opportunity to do level one coaching for various coaches, it would be better.

Jamie Siddons was telling me the other day that 'in a way that our coaching job at national level becomes easier.' At times someone's foot goes across and it becomes difficult to change at elite level. There are so many academies but if the coaches had some idea of what level one or two coaching was about, their matrix will change since the players from the root level are having to learn anew when they get to a different level.

For instance, from doing level one, I came to know how to tell spinners how to begin their skill training. Level 2 and 3 are advanced but even knowing the basics of level 1 would help the basics of a lot of people.

I have a dream to take all coaches from Chattogram and work with the likes of [Nazmul Abedeen] Fahim sir and others. Maybe they won't get a certificate but they will at least get an idea of level one coaching.

DS: What comes next?

AA: After Level 2 we have to submit an assignment of six months and then they will provide a certificate. After Level 2 comes Level 3 and that is the last one.

DS: Could you share the interesting fielding exercise with Shane McDermott?

AA: It was about getting everyone's involvement in line. At times catches come suddenly. Suppose a left-arm spinner is bowling and most often the ball goes to cover or point but the fielder at square-leg doesn't always have the mental readiness and hence there are chances of the catch being dropped. So, it was about the involvement and the walk towards the ball and the timing of your feet movements.

DS: Does the program cover all aspects?

AA: Yes, physio, medicine, everything. Bayzid bhai took a class and Nick Lee was there too. Now we can talk about the various grades of [injury] tears and if I will be able to play a player after a certain period.