The Paddock and The Pavilion

Ep 232 - James Pamment - Yorkshireman painting a new picture with the Mumbai Indians

Sun Nov 19 2023

CricketFieldingCoachingFranchise CricketTraining

Description

This episode covers various topics related to cricket, including the Apple Card, Netflix, James Pammant's cricket journey, coaching philosophy, franchise cricket, fielding standards, training and physical development, and role training. The episode also discusses the future engagements of the speaker.

Insights

Importance of Fielding in Modern Cricket

James Pammant emphasizes the significance of fielding in modern cricket and shares his experiences as a specialist fielding coach.

Coaching Philosophy and Working with Mumbai Indians

The speaker discusses their coaching philosophy, the importance of playing multiple sports for youngsters, and their experience working with Mumbai Indians.

Evolution of Fielding Standards in Cricket

The interviewee talks about the evolution of fielding standards in cricket, the assessment criteria for fielders in T20 games, and the involvement of multiple players in boundary saves.

Training and Physical Development for Fielders

The episode explores the rise in athleticism among players in franchise cricket, unique training drills for fielders, and the importance of fitness and strength.

Role Training and Future Engagements

The speaker highlights the importance of role training in cricket, concentration skills for long periods, and their upcoming engagement with MI Cape Town in South Africa.

Summary

Transcript

Apple Card and Netflix

00:00 - 07:06

Apple Card is a credit card created by Apple that offers 3% cash back on purchases of new iPhones, AirPods, and other Apple products.
Netflix offers sports stories for all types of fans, including documentaries about world-class quarterbacks and the business of F1.

James Pammant's Cricket Journey

06:44 - 14:14

The podcast features an interview with James Pammant, the specialist fielding coach of the Mumbai Indians cricket team.
James discusses the importance of fielding in modern cricket and his experiences living in New Zealand.
He talks about his time playing cricket in Yorkshire and his decision to travel to New Zealand to further his development.
James also mentions his family and how he enjoys spending time with them during his downtime.
The speaker played two seasons for a club called Nine I All Boys in the Wellington competition.
During that time, he met his future wife, Cecilia, who is still his wife after over 30 years of marriage.
He moved to Auckland and got a contract with a cricket club called Grafton United, which helped improve his game.
In 1993, he was invited to play for Auckland and played around 50 games over the next three years.
However, there was no money to be made from playing cricket at that time, so he decided to leave first-class cricket with Auckland and moved to Mount Monganui in 1996.
He took up a contract to play national football with Mount Munganui while also working at BHP as a painter and decorator for nearly 10 years.
He has always been passionate about coaching and had been coaching various sports teams throughout his playing career.
In 2006, he started working for New Zealand football as a coach and later received an offer from New Zealand cricket to coach cricket as well.
He mainly coaches in the youth grades and has worked with talented young cricketers like Trent Boult and Kane Williamson in the Bay of Plenty region.

Coaching Philosophy and Mumbai Indians

13:47 - 21:22

The speaker has worked closely with young cricketers such as Joe Cowdish, Juan Davy, and Brett Hampton in the Bay of Planning region before branching out to coach in the Northern Districts region.
They believe in the importance of playing multiple sports for youngsters and advocate against early sport specialization.
Fitness is a crucial aspect of their coaching philosophy, and they believe that being active and participating in different sports helps develop various skills and athleticism.
The speaker had a short association with American Cricket, coaching them for a tournament in Bermuda and providing feedback for future development.
They have been associated with Mumbai Indians since 2017 as a fielding coach, scout, and development coach. They enjoy working with the organization and its principles align with their own.
While acknowledging Jonty Rhodes as an exceptional fielder, the speaker brings their own set of philosophies and principles to coaching. They strive to improve each year and build relationships with players to understand their goals and enhance their fielding skills.
Working with renowned players like Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, and Jasprit Bumrah has been intense but rewarding. The speaker values picking their brains and engaging in discussions about cricket.

Fielding and Franchise Cricket

21:00 - 28:45

The speaker has enjoyed their relationship with Karen Pollock, who is a brilliant fielder and a fantastic human being.
The coach-player relationship is important in cricket, and the stability of the coaching crew has contributed to the team's success.
Energy is non-negotiable in a T20 environment, and the players are encouraged to give their all despite physical and mental challenges.
The speaker loves working in India and had a precious experience coaching a team there.
Franchise cricket has become one big family, with five teams now under their management.
The South African T20 tournament was outstanding, with capacity crowds and high-quality games.
The speaker didn't perform well in the tournament but still enjoyed their time there.
They are looking forward to returning to South Africa and participating in the Major League Cricket tournament in the United States.

Cricket Development in the United States

28:18 - 35:37

The Major League cricket tournament in the United States had a successful start with good quality players and engaged crowds.
There is a strong following for cricket in North America, with the second largest amount of social media hits coming from there.
Efforts are being made to create a structured pathway for high-performance cricket in the US, including Major League cricket, Minor League cricket, and regional associations.
The goal is to develop American-born cricketers rather than relying solely on immigrants from Caribbean Islands or South Asian countries.
Franchise tournaments like T20 have become popular due to their exciting games and large crowds, but Test Cricket and bilateral series still hold value for players.
The integrity of cricket is important to decision-makers in franchise cricket, who aim to strike a balance between making money and maintaining the sport's integrity.
The interviewee has always loved fielding and wanted to be involved in every ball since his days as a football goalkeeper.
T20 cricket has raised the demands of fielding due to increased intensity and 360-degree batting by players.
While T20 has influenced fielding standards, exceptional fielders like Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Colin Bland, and Derek Randall existed even before its advent.

Evolution of Fielding Standards

35:12 - 42:40

There have been outstanding fielders throughout the generations of cricket, such as Randal and Ricky Ponting.
The expectation now is to have a group of good fielders rather than hiding anyone on the field.
Fielders in T20 games are assessed based on various factors like ground fielding, catching, throwing accuracy, team involvement, two-man plays, three-man plays, backup plays, diving and sliding.
Consistent misfielding or dropping catches becomes a coaching conversation to improve performance.
Fielders are encouraged to be brave and bold by getting close to stop easy singles in the circle and saving potential boundaries.
A comprehensive assessment sheet is used to track fielding performance game by game.
Players' imaginations and ideas are sought for the next innovation in fielding.
The involvement of multiple players in boundary saves has evolved and will continue to evolve with encouragement from cricket authorities.
Keeping the ball on the field instead of attempting a catch for two or three runs is now considered obvious but wasn't previously thought of.

Training and Physical Development

42:15 - 49:45

Franchise cricket has seen a rise in athleticism and agility among players.
In T20 cricket, every run is crucial, so fielders focus on saving runs and gaining advantages.
Fielding coaches learn from other sports like baseball to improve throwing techniques.
Unique drills have been devised by collaborating with strength and conditioning coaches and physios to enhance the physical development of cricket athletes.
Pilates and yoga can assist players in improving their fitness and strength, leading to more consistent skill performance.
Top fielders may have different training routines based on their career stage and physical levels.
Elite fielders possess natural athleticism that helps them perform skills at a high level.
Fielding drills differ between formats, with T20 focusing on shorter, sharper activities while longer formats emphasize close catching and slip cord areas.

Role Training and Future Engagements

49:16 - 55:38

Finding a balance between high-intensity drills and specific role training is important in cricket.
Players need to understand their likely roles throughout the stages of an innings to replicate game situations in training.
Concentration for long periods is a special skill, particularly for batsmen who have to field for six hours and potentially take catches.
The speaker's next engagement is with MI Cape Town in South Africa, where they hope to make the playoffs and perform better than last year.
They will be working with Robbie Peterson, a new head coach, and players like Rashid Khan and Kieron Pollard.
The speaker occasionally works with the New Zealand team but is content with their current role as Mumbai Indians' fielding coach.
Chennai Super Kings is another famous and successful team in cricket.
The speaker appreciates engaging with fans and is open to sharing more details about their work if requested.