Antigua, March 28: West Indian batting great Sir Vivian Richards is not averse to the idea of coaching the Indian cricket team and make the players "mentally stronger".
Richards said the Indians were the most talented side on paper but lacked the mental toughness to be able to succeed at the highest level.
Asked specifically if he would accept the offer to coach the Indian team, he said "I would like to be a part of the Indian set up. I would deal with the mental side of things".
"I believe I would be very helpful in the mental side of things. I have done many motivational speeches and chat with some of the best teams in the world...I think I could help where the head is concerned", Richards told CNN-IBN.
Disappointed with India`s early exit from the World Cup, the former West Indian captain said teams from the sub-continent needed to have "a sense of steel in the mind" while performing in bigger tournaments.
"I am very disappointed. I have always felt that on paper they are the most talented team that you can see. I also believe the same for Pakistan. But I also believe that when it comes to such huge occasions, mentally they never seem to get it right.
"I think in the future that is one of the things that they will have to work on. How strong you can get these guys mentally will matter because cricket is not just about the ability and talent that you have in order to go out and hit the ball around," he pointed out.
Richards underlined the necessity of mental toughness in contemporary cricket considering the competition at the highest level.
"One must also have a sense of steel in one`s mind when performing. Especially when cricket is as competitive as it is. You must have certain amount of steel. I hope for India`s sake because in India people love cricket so much so it is not right for the team to go back empty-handed," he said.
About the senior players in the Indian side, Richards said: "I am not going to tell someone when they should go or stay. I think it is up to those individuals. I trust their ability and their sense of knowledge that they know when it is the right time to go. It is a hard call. These are the same guys who were doing well recently.
"So it is a little sad that when you have failure somebody points the finger and says that they should go and make other excuses."
Bureau Report
