Wrighty?s Indian odyssey

Cricketing author: After a successful stint coaching the Indian team John Wright is in hot demand in the cricketing world. Following the release of his second book Indian Summers, Jared Dennis caught up with him to find out what it's all about.
For your average Kiwi imagining an environment where cricket is the most important thing on earth is nigh impossible.
Maybe if you take New Zealand's passion for rugby and multiply it by a couple of hundred million you would get close to the enthusiasm India have for their national sport. Another way to get an idea of this fervour is to read John Wright's Indian Summers.
Wright ended his four and a-half year tenure as Indian cricket coach last year and has spent a fair bit of time since penning his second book. His first, Christmas in Rarotonga, focused on his playing career while Indian Summers tackles the issues he faced dealing with one of the more complex and fanatical sporting institutions in the world.
Wright said it was the support that was a big part of what made such a stressful job so worthwhile.
"We [the Indian team] had the best cricket fans in the world, the most passionate, and I explained in the book some of the stuff they used to do for us.
"They just deserved a good fighting cricket team, that's just what we worked on really.
"They were great fans, fantastic."
Due to the adulation for the team they were treated as royalty, but that doesn't mean the role didn't have its bad points.
"The loneliness of the job was the big thing.
"We were always in hotels so you never had a home life at all really."
There were also some big highs and some massive lows off the field.
In Wright's first series with Australia his job was on the line and the side was 1-0 down and following on at the end of the second day of the second test.
"No one expected us to win after the second night when we were following on.
"That was real big, because Australia had won 16 straight before that. To beat them in a series was big and for me it helped my cause as a coach also."
The chapter in the book that refers to series win this is called 'The Greatest Comeback Since Lazarus", which is rather fitting.
Other highlights on the field included taking India to the 2003 World Cup final and winning a test and a test series for the first time in Pakistan.
"India hadn't been to Pakistan for 14 years.
"It was not just about the cricket, it was about the politics. It was great to be involved, because it was a good example of cricket bringing two countries together, because they are both passionate about cricket."
Along with the highs that come with such a crucial role there were also some big lows.
Losing a one-day match to Kenya is obviously one, while losing the 2002/03 test series in New Zealand was another.
"The New Zealand tour was pretty tough because you wanted the team to play well in your own country.
"I was always hoping the boys would do well over here, but it didn't happen."
Wright also didn't get to go out on the winning note he had hoped for.
"We lost the last one-day series that I coached which was against Pakistan.
"It was a six-match series and we won the first two matches and managed to lose the last four.
"It would have been nice to go out with a winning series, but you know, sometimes that happens, sometimes there are no happy endings."
Before the Indian appointment Wright applied for the New Zealand coaching role, and in the book he details how badly this went, but there is no animosity now.
"I keep in contact with New Zealand Cricket, they've been good.
"They are always very positive and supportive.
"There are only so many opportunities here. I'm sure I will be able to help somewhere.
And his positivity extends to the entire organisation. "They're great. Martin Snedden, John Bracewell, Stephen Boock (who's on the board) and Richard Hadlee, they were all at the launch in Christchurch.
"It was just great to see them. I'm playing golf with Braces next week. We keep in touch, we played a lot of cricket together really.
"John Bracewell is a seriously good coach.
"I think New Zealand will do really well at the World Cup, I think they will be hard to beat, in the top four or five teams you would fancy. It's a pretty open World Cup this year."
But before you get players to World Cup level you must have things right internally, especially in a country like New Zealand with limited playing resources.
"I suppose that is the difference between India and New Zealand.
"Over there there is that many people that want to play that they can't all get cricket, you know, cause there is not enough grounds.
"Wanganui, hell I used to play at Cooks Gardens all the time.
"Its always been a strong cricketing area. I hope it works out, its always been an integral part of CD hasn't it?
Hopefully they will get round the table and thrash it out."
Published: Hachette Livre Released: July 27, 2006 RRP: $49.99