Skill coaches tend to double up as mental conditioning coaches: Sanjay Bangar

Sanjay Bangar (IANS)

New Delhi, May 19:  Yuvraj Singh had recently spoken about the need to have a mental conditioning coach with the Indian players as that would help them perform even better on the field. Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that the coaching staff in the team actually double up as mental conditioning coaches as they spend so much time with the boys.

Bangar while talking about mental conditioning coaches, spoke on Star Sports show Cricket Connected saying, "Basically, the coaches tend to double up as mental conditioning coaches primarily for the reason that they spend a lot of time with the players and number two is the trust that a player enjoys with a particular coach.

"So, it's very important for a coach and player to form that sort of a relationship wherein the player can confide his insecurities with the coach and be rest assured that whatever has been conveyed to the coach or the inner most feelings of a player does not really go outside the two of them," he explained.

The former coach also said that trust is an important factor in the relationship. "I think trust is a major factor, it could be a mental conditioning coach, or it could be skill coach, in today's time the skill coaches tend to double up as the mental conditioning coaches," he said.

Former India skipper M.S. Dhoni also said that players in the country still hesitate to accept that they have some weakness when it comes to mental aspect and that's why a mental conditioning coach should be constantly with the team.

"In India, I feel there is still a big issue of accepting that there is some weakness when it comes to the mental aspects, but we generally term it as mental illness," Dhoni said.

"Nobody really says that, when I go to bat, the first 5 to 10 deliveries my heart rate is elevated, I feel the pressure, I feel a bit scared because that's how everybody feels -- how to cope with that?

"This is a small problem but a lot of times we hesitate to say it to a coach and that's why the relationship between a player and coach is very important be it any sport."