Named South Africa batting coach for Tests, Amol Muzumdar is up for it

What the Indian cricket board lost is now Cricket South Africa's (CSA) gain. Domestic batting stalwart from Mumbai, Amol Muzumdar, has on Monday been appointed as the interim batting coach of the South African team for next month's three-Test series in India.

This appointment came after Muzumdar was not even shortlisted for the Indian team's batting coach role last month.

The 44-year-old Muzumdar joins Australia's spin consultant Sridharan Sriram from Tamil Nadu as the Indians who have been appointed by overseas cricket boards to help their Test teams.

Speaking to DNA soon after the appointment, Muzumdar said that it will be a challenge and he is up for it.

"No doubt it is a big challenge for South Africa in India and you combat it. We need to prepare well, go out there and execute it," Muzumdar said. "India in India are a different proposition. Overall, India are a very strong unit. Having said that, we (South Africa) are ready for any challenge."

While Muzumdar is yet to interact with the majority of the Test players led by Faf du Plessis, he did assist the Proteas in the spin bowling camp in Bengaluru last month and that included interacting with Test vice-captain Temba Bavuma, opener Aiden Markram and rookie middle-order batsman Zubayr Hamza.

"One thing that struck me is they are ready to learn. It was a great starting point. I feel all the youngsters are absolutely keen. One positive about the South African players is that they plan very meticulously. That is an added thing as far as me as coaching is concerned," Muzumdar said about his brief stint with the Proteas last month.

Muzumdar will join the South Africa squad this month end, around the time of the third T20I in Bengaluru when the Test players join the tour.

"I will have to sit with the team management and go along with whatever the head coach decides. I am sure they will have their own plans. There will be challenges ahead, we should be prepared and should plan pretty well so that we would be able to execute things," Muzumdar said about his plans with the South African team.

Hamza, a 24-year-old right-handed batsman made his Test debut earlier this year against Pakistan and scored 41 in his maiden visit to the crease. CSA looks at him as an ideal batsman to replace the retired great Hashim Amla.
Muzumdar said that the retirement of Amla has left a big void in the South African line-up. "Hashim is a great player, no doubt. Now that he has retired, there are big shoes to be filled. It also opens up a lot of opportunities for the youngsters."

While Muzumdar has accumulated tons and tons of runs in the domestic cricket in India, he was one of the unlucky ones not to get an international call-up. His 11,167 first-class runs in 171 matches at 48.13 and with 30 hundreds and 60 fifties across two decades puts him high up among Indian domestic batting giants.

His non-selection for the Indian team does not, in any way, put him behind other international stars, though, be it as a player or now as a coach. He has, in a way, made up for the lost opportunities by way of coaching international teams including The Netherlands before being a part of the Rajasthan Royals coaching set up.

Asked if he thought not playing international cricket would in anyway leave him behind in coaching a Test side, Muzumdar said: "I don't think not playing international cricket matters too much. There are a lot of myths going around in India that only those who have played international cricket can make good coaches. In the 21 years of playing first-class cricket in India, I have gathered enough data and information. There is enough in the storage. If you know your subject pretty well, I don't think playing or not playing international cricket matters. You need to know your subject pretty well, and batting has been my subject."

Muzumdar said the time spent with Rajasthan Royals as batting coach augurs well for him. "Definitely the time spent with Rajasthan Royals in IPL puts me in good stead. I have spent some time with some top quality players. It has given me the opportunity to spend a lot of time with them, observe how they prepare for big matches, understand the team dynamics with regards to coaching," said Muzumdar, who retired from playing in 2014.

Among the players Muzumdar has worked with in Rajasthan Royals include a certain Australian Steve Smith, who seems to be doing no wrong at the moment. Muzumdar calls Smith a "super human being". "Smith is just an amazing player. He is a genius. I have been really lucky to have spent time with RR just seeing a genius in action. He is different. He breaks all the conventional stuff. He is such a great competitor and a superb human being. I associate Smith with those two qualities."

A product of the typical stubborn Mumbai batting style, Muzumdar says that there is not only depth in Indian playing system but also in the Indian coaching system, the result of which the likes of former India and Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner-batsman, Sriram and himself, have been roped in by overseas sides.

"It is a good opportunity for all of us. The fact that Sriram is there for Australia tells you that there is a lot of depth in not just the Indian playing system but also there is depth in Indian coaching system. I am a product of the Indian coaching system and am proud of the way the Board of Control for Cricket in India has gone about doing things over the years. I feel it is a good thing for Indian cricket that more doors are opening up."