Pandit’s family values: Team that eats together, stays together

It is not often that one gets to see a State skipper reunite with his coach with a bear-hug or a “missed you”.

It is not often that one gets to see a State skipper reunite with his coach with a bear-hug or a “missed you”. Neither to see an upcoming 19-year-old, yet to make even his Ranji Trophy debut stand with his arm round his coach’s shoulders and be permitted – as are all others – to address him by his nickname.

But that’s just a few things that coach Chandrkant Pandit on his first Ranji Trophy assignment as the newly-appointed Director of Cricket for the Maharashtra Cricket Association believes displays the confidence and understanding that has emerged in the Maharashtra side. And while on the eve of his de-facto debut as the head coach he admits to be like “starting your innings” with all the accopanying pressures in place, Pandit says he would be happy if his boys “look like a team and play as a team” if not reach the ultimate prize.

“The aim has been to create such a close family, that they will be able to lift each other up in the harder times,” says Pandit.

Story continues below this ad

That is why from this year on the Seniors will be encouraged to stay together, eat together, dress alike, and in an atmosphere that he believes has already “changed a lot since last year”.

Pandit has even tried spend often upto eight hours a day accompanying his players, calling them for one-on-one talks, while sets of players have been made in-charge of travel, food, entertainment, discipline, and generally keep track of each other’s gains and shortfalls, both on and off the field to help each other improve. “It’s to create an awareness, make them smart and encourage them to find out what is happening in their surroundings,” he says.

“It’s something I am proud to say has been inclulcated among the U-19s”, says Pandit of the side he coached to the Cooch Behar title last year. “It’s like the ingredients for a recipe, though – they may seem of little use by themselves, but after a while, the final outcome is worth the wait,” says Pandit, adding that this system has been possible only because of the complete freedom he has recieved from the MCA.

There’s no doubt winning remains the centre around which the “development process” is planned, however explains Pandit. After all, Maharashtra have not been able to win the Ranji Trophy in independent India – and have come close to doing it only twice – once in 1970-71 when they went down to rivals Mumbai, and the second emotional loss in 1992-93 when the general fervour was to bring home the Trophy at least as a centenary gift to DB Deodhar if not anything else.

Story continues below this ad

And that is why considering the State’s record in the domestic season, Pandit has told his players that if they set a trend, they would have the power to change the future. “It happened with Mumbai. Following Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Sandeep Patil, the trend got set to produce good batsmen,” he explains. On th eve of the State’s opener against Hyderabad, Pandit admits there will be no turnaround of fortunes overnight. “But I have faith in the process and the direction in which we are going,” he says.