Re: An interesting article regarding mind games in sport.
This article now becomes more interesting in the light of today's HUN article relating to Shane Warne being the culprit for the English coaching spat.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24882806-2882,00.html
The significance of this is the variation in leadership styles between that of the layback captains, Warne & Pietersen, and the more regimented coaches, Buchanan & Moores.
I read this with keen relish because it delves into sub factors of one of the key Transformational factors of Leadership being -
Key Factor -> Coacking People
Sub Factors:
->Spend time teaching & coaching.
->Treat others as individuals rather than just as a member of the group.
->Consider an individual as having different needs, abilities, and aspirations from others.
->Help others to develop their strengths.
The relevant subfactors are the middle two.
Too many leaders seem to be too rigid in practising the "one in, all in" principle.
Actually, different players have different needs.
And many coaches miss this.
It is a grey area in relation to how the coach recognises the varying needs of each of the players as against leading, experienced player recognising the focus of the coach to the whole team.
Friction can occur, and does, leading to the ostracizing of parties (player v coach.)
Interesting one.
It happens at lower grade local level and, with this article, at elite international level.
In the case of Pietersen, he appears to have experienced a new style of leadership, under Warne, and found the old style, under Moores, less palatable.
With Warne, the comparison of Geoff Marsh's style v Buchanan's style, left the latter less palatable.
A bit more communication, understanding and tolerance from both/all parties.
Communication is the key. All Leaders NEED to be flexible.
But it may have already gone past this point.
A lesson for all UNAWARE coaches & leaders.
The article is below.
Graham Gooch claims Shane Warne is to blame for the rift between England captain and coach
January 07, 2009 07:21am
SHANE Warne has been blamed for the public feud between England captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores.
Former England captain Graham Gooch has suggested that time Pietersen spent playing with Warne may have influenced his thinking towards the coach's training methods.
The Pietersen-Moores spat is threatening to derail England's Ashes campaign six months out from Australia's arrival on tour.
It seems disagreement over training methods and a personality or ego clash are at the heart of the problem between the pair.
The omission of former England captain Michael Vaughan for the upcoming tour of the West Indies was initially thought to have angered skipper Pietersen. But it now appears that was just the last straw.
Moores' focus on statistical analysis is seen as too much of a contrast to the impulsive Pietersen, who criticised the coach's "all day, every day" training regime employed before England's tour of New Zealand a year ago.
The issue has amazing similarities to the rift between Warne and John Buchanan, when he was coach of Australia.
Warne launched a stinging attack against Buchanan's army-style bush training camp in the lead-up to the 2006-07 series in Australia.
And, in further criticism of Buchanan's unorthodox training methods, the now-retired Warne suggested top cricketers don't need coaching.
"I believe you need a manager rather than a coach," said Warne.
"As an international cricketer, you know you're good enough and you don't need a coach getting too technical."
After one of Warne's outbursts against Buchanan, former Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said: "Everyone knows Warnie and John have never seen eye to eye so I don't think we've found out anything new there."
Warne and Pietersen were teammates at county team Hampshire and are also great friends and Gooch believes Warne may have had a negative effect on the South African-born batsman.
"Unfortunately I think he has been influenced a little bit by Shane Warne at Hampshire," Gooch told BBC Radio's 5 Live.
"Warne was a great motivator as a player but, as one of the all-time icons of the game, and after leading the Rajasthan Royals to the Indian Premier League title last year, he doesn't really believe in coaching."
While Moores has refused to comment, Pietersen told the Sunday tabloid News of the World: "This situation is not healthy, we have to make sure it is settled as soon as possible and certainly before we fly off to the West Indies.
"Everybody has to have the same aims and pull in the same direction for the good of the England team."
The very public Pietersen-Moores rift could not have come to a head at a worse time for England.
The Ashes start six months from Thursday and, with Australia struggling at home against South Africa, many had been talking up England's chances of repeating their 2005 triumph later this year.
Thursday also marks Pietersen's return from holiday in Africa, and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chiefs are expected to have a solution to the problem by the weekend.
Pietersen has reportedly threatened to quit the captaincy if he is not satisfied and he is widely tipped to win the power struggle that appears to have the ECB facing a choice between the two men.
Sacking Moores would leave limited time to replace him and his backroom supporters before the squad flies to the Caribbean on January 21, not to mention put an Ashes-winning structure in place.
A Pietersen victory would also set what many see as an unsavoury precedent, however, where the captain selects the coach.
Cricket analyst Simon Hughes wrote in Britain's Daily Telegraph: "In cricket, the coach's position is more delicate than in any other sport ... he has little control over the team once play starts, yet will usually get the blame if things go awry."
Should the ECB call Pietersen's bluff - if indeed it is a bluff - and stick with Moores, irreparable damage has been done.
The most likely replacement as captain is Andrew Strauss, who has rediscovered his Test form, but has not played a one-day international for more than 18 months.
Whatever happens, the very best - albeit unlikely - outcome the English can hope for is that the script follows that the Warne-Buchanan boot-camp stoush and ends in a 5-0 Ashes whitewash for the hosts.
- AAP
