Mind over matter for Mumbai’s new coach Amol Muzumdar

Mumbai’s new coach Amol Muzumdar at the MCA-BKC Club last week. Pic/Prakash Parsekar

Former Mumbai captain Amol Muzumdar, 46, is ready to face new challenges which will come his way as new coach of the senior Mumbai team. Muzumdar, who scored most of his 11,167 first-class runs under the Mumbai lion-crested headgear, was appointed coach for the next domestic season.

The batting stalwart, who wore India A colours in the 1990s, wants to lay ample emphasis on the mental aspect of his team.

Amol accepts challenge

"It will be a challenge, but I was used to taking on such challenges while playing and even after retirement. That's why I decided to enter this field and accepted the challenge. It is important to do things together, the way we did so during our playing days. To try my best is in my hands and I will do just that," Muzumdar told mid-day on Tuesday.

Muzumdar, who earlier guided the South African national team and IPL side Rajasthan Royals as a batting coach, wants to make full use of the current off-season.
When asked about his plans, he remarked: "Sports psychology is a part of cricket now. It is vital to know the importance and benefits of new things. I would definitely like to use sports psychology. It depends from person to person, case to case but it is important. If it's going to benefit upcoming players, why not?"

Mumbai last won the Ranji Trophy in 2015-16 and Muzumdar is well aware of the expectations and pressure that come with his new responsibility. "I represented Mumbai for 16 years and we won the Ranji Trophy championship eight times in those years. So it [pressure] is not new to me. I am looking at it as another challenge. Mumbai are known for their hard-working attitude and I will continue to work in that manner. It is important to keep the bonding going and I will concentrate on that," said Muzumdar, who helped Mumbai emerge Ranji Trophy champions in his first year as captain in 2006-07. Former national selector and Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) chief Jatin Paranjape said it was a tough task to appoint the Mumbai coach.

Former India cricketers like Balvinder Singh Sandhu, Wasim Jaffer, Sairaj Bahutule and ex-Mumbai Ranji Trophy-winning coach Sulakshan Kulkarni were the other contenders for the job. Paranjape and fellow CIC members (also ex-India cricketers) Vinod Kambli and Nilesh Kulkarni went for Muzumdar.

‘It was a tough job'

"It was a tough job, but I think all three of us thought that Amol is the best guy for the job. He has seen some of the best days and some tough days of Mumbai cricket. He has scored 11,000 [first-class] runs, nobody can question that. He has a certain standing and he is an out and out Mumbai man," said Paranjape.

The CIC's next task is to appoint an academy head for MCA's Bandra-Kurla Complex indoor facility and selectors.

Also Read: Coach Ramesh Powar backs Shafali Verma to shine on England tour