IPL Feature: Does Support Staff Help to Win

Getting a trophy not only makes the franchise winner, but also increases the brand value of  the team and brands advertising and associated with the team. With such high stakes, teams leave no stone unturned to ensure they are top-notch in each aspect that is required to achieve perfect results on the cricket field. 

Staff behind the team strength

One such aspect of the game comes in the form of support staff, who play an immensely important role for the team throughout the season. While fans enjoy to witness their favorite players perform on the field, a major role that goes unnoticed is the hard work of coaching and supporting staff in a team's success on-field. It is the members of the support staff who help the team maintain a healthy environment inside the dressing room and even in case of ever-changing dynamics and adverse situations, like injuries.

Every team hires coaching and supporting experts according to the needs of their teams and players. Some cricketing staff are hired for strategy, fielding coach,bowling and batting coach and also experts like physiotherapists, who take care of any mental health issues and physical well-being. Support staff are also hired for all-important tasks of logistics. The team management takes care of all aspects of hiring for any issue related to on and off-field, and specifically they want to plug any problems the team faced in the last season.

Various staffing roles that franchises choose for their teams

Head coach, Director of cricket operations, icon/network, batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, strength and conditioning coach, head physiotherapist, bowling consultant, trainer, team manager, team doctor, high-performance analyst, logistics manager, team masseur, assistant coach, assistant bowling coach, spin bowling coach, head of scouting, sports massage therapist, head-business partnerships, head of content and digital, fast-bowling coach, team analyst, batting consultant, mental conditioning coach, team catalyst, etc.

Did you manage to count how many experts are required for smooth functioning?

Franchisees and their owners choose the role best needed for their teams, according to the team formed in auctions and lapses that they feel are prevalent and need to be overcome under some abled person's guidance. It’s then when specific hiring is done.

In pursuit for perfection 

With the advancement of technologies, the athlete’s performance is now being pushed to the next level. The athletes overlook their weak areas, but when supporting staff from different domains, do analysis, the performance level of an individual athlete is raised to next level which in turn increases the team's performance and efficiency. During the training of a fast bowler, staff from Head Bowling coach to assistant coach, strength and conditioning specialist to a physio all invest their expertise to bring out the best of players.

In pursuit of this peak performance, which directly affects team progress across the tournament, franchises are more than happy to spend a few extra bucks on getting the best possible combination of these experts for their valued and expensive players, which they bought during the auction.

Every team over the years in the Indian Premier League has seen and understood what it takes to win in competitive conditions, especially back to back games and travel. Following the performances of the team, the franchise understands the needs and weaknesses of the team. Based on internal assessment the support staff get hired.

A good example could be the Sunrisers Hyderabad who has always been known for their tight knit bowling squad, decided to rope in Dale Steyn as their assistant fast bowling coach; justifying their vision and game plan ahead of the tournament.

A team would perform without the supporting staff, but the challenges could be immense for the team and players.