Teachers' Day Special: Top 5 coaches in international cricket

3. John Buchanan (Teams coached: Australia, Kolkata Knight Riders)

The bespectacled Queensland native took over from Geoff Marsh as coach of the Australian national team in October 1999 – a move that raised some eyebrows, given that he had never represented the country at the Test level. He enjoyed unprecedented success with the Kangaroos, guiding them to 16 consecutive Test wins and 23 ODI wins in World Cup tournaments.

Under his mentorship, Australia completed a hat-trick of World Cup titles – with Buchanan in charge for the 2003 and 2007 editions – and won a Test series in India for the first time in 35 years during the 2004 tour where current Australian captain Michael Clarke made his debut. In late 2006, he helped his side achieve their first Champions Trophy title, and also guided them through a successful 5-0 whitewash in the 2006-07 Ashes series.

Despite his excellent track record, his unorthodox methods were criticised by former players – including Shane Warne, who publicly suggested that Buchanan had actually inherited a world-class team and his presence only coincided with their victories. His tenure as KKR coach in the IPL was also less successful, and he was sacked in late 2009 following a poor showing in the second season.

Buchanan was widely known for his ruthless streak and game strategy during his time as Australian coach, and those traits are certainly needed if your side hopes to be world-beaters.

2. Bob Woolmer (Teams coached: South Africa, Pakistan)

The Kanpur-born former England batsman, who retired from first-class cricket in 1984, revolutionised South African cricket with his innovative coaching methods. Appointed as the Proteas’ coach in 1994, he spent the next five years guiding them to one triumph after another. His tenure saw the team win 10 out of their 15 Test series and 73% of the ODIs they participated in.

Woolmer was also known for incorporating computer analysis of opposing teams, and his practice of communicating via an earpiece with ex-skipper Hansie Cronje in the 1999 World Cup received widespread attention along with more than a few brickbats; the practice was later banned. After South Africa failed to secure a place in the finals of the same tournament, Woolmer resigned as coach.

He went on to become the coach of the Pakistan team in 2004, guiding them to a 4-2 ODI series triumph in India and drawing the preceding Test series 1-1. After the side were eliminated from the 2007 World Cup following a loss to Ireland, the coach was found dead in his hotel room in Jamaica, and his death still remains an unsolved mystery.

1. Gary Kirsten (Teams coached: India, South Africa)

The former South African opener succeeded the mercurial Greg Chappell as coach of the Indian team, taking over at a time when the Australian’s tenure had left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths, the early World Cup exit notwithstanding. Although Ravi Shastri and Lalchand Rajput had been appointed interim coaches for a short period, neither wanted to consider a long-term deputation in the role.

Kirsten officially took charge in 2008, guiding the team to a 1-1 draw against South Africa in the March-April 2008 Test series. He also coached them to the finals of the Kitply Cup and the Asia Cup in 2008, where India ended up second-best. However, a winning streak was formed when Kirsten led India to its first bilateral series win in Sri Lanka, secured wins in both Tests and ODIs against New Zealand in their own backyard for the first time in 40 years, and India also secured the No.1 position in the world Test rankings in 2009 under his tenure.

Gary received a perfect farewell when the Men in Blue lifted the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets to secure the trophy after 28 years. He was widely praised for his people skills, and his tenure brought about an improvement in the batting of key players such as Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. He is widely seen as the driving force behind the clearly visible improvements in each cricketer’s performance, motivating them and discussing tactics to be deployed on the field.

After his India sojourn, Gary returned home to take charge of the South African national side, leading them to the ICC No.1 ranking in Test cricket with a 2-0 victory over England. He took over from interim coach Corrie van Zyl, but stepped down from the post in August 2013, and will be taking up the challenge of coaching the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL.

Here’s a tribute video celebrating India’s cricket gurus: