Sarwan: County Cricket Helped my Game

Tough love is one of the methods coaches often use on their charges. They crack the whip knowing that the hard work hurts. But they also know that, like a dose of Buckley's Cough Syrup, although it tastes horrible, it's good for you because it works.

Ramnaresh Sarwan must have been in shock when, at his first ever training camp with new coach Bennett King last December, he wasn't allowed to sit and change his shoes after coming off the field, before going into the nets. He and his team mates were kept on the go by King. He admits that never before has he trained as hard as he is training under the present coach.

Sarwan is coming off a short stint with county team Gloucestershire where he had modest returns. But in the recent practice match which formed part of the six-day West Indies camp, the right handed batsman scored many runs, including a century. He has followed up that so far with back-to-back hundreds and a half century in the KFC regional one day tournament.

After helping Guyana to trounce Jamaica in the third match of the tournament, Sarwan had a quick chat with CaribbeanCricket.com to explain how well the 'Buckley's' is working, and also talked very candidly about his first ever county cricket experience.

On his rich form in the West Indies practice match and the one day tournament?

I think what has been contributing to this is the fact that I've been doing a lot of hard work off the cricket field and the stint in England I thought helped me mentally. I am able to focus more on what I have to do and I think I understand my game a lot more than before.

On his stint with Gloucestershire?

What happened early in the season, I wasn't getting scores. Then in the middle part of it I started to pick up and unfortunately the end part of it, I got the flu. But what happened early in my stay, I couldn't find anyone to talk to, or I shouldn't really say couldn't find any one to talk to.

There were people, but I wasn't as comfortable as I wanted to be, so I had to fight through that period so it made me more mentally tough and made me understand how I need to fight through difficult periods especially when I'm batting and how to analyze my game.

On what he would have talked about if he had found somebody ?

It would be more or less what I had been doing wrong. I didn't really have anybody to confide in but myself. I had team mates but I couldn't really relate to them because it's a different culture and so on. They had family so after the game they would go home and obviously I lived by myself.

On what he found difficult?

For sure I couldn't cook! That was one of the problems. I found it funny; I used to be on the phone talking to my mum, getting recipes. [laughing]

But being serious now, I thought my season was lacking of cricket. I didn't play much cricket before I went. Pakistan was just a month and a half or two months, so I think basically I was lacking of cricket, and obviously when I got the flu, I kind of found it a little difficult to concentrate at the end part of the season.

On the upcoming tour to Australia?

I think I have improved mentally and technically as well. I still think I need to get a lot better with my technique. There are times in my innings where I would find myself lacking in concentration as well, and those are the things I'm working on. But hopefully I'll be able to take this same sort of form down to Australia and get better and better as the series goes on.

On the hard work he has been doing off the field?.

Oh you know about that?you've been looking at us training with Bennett King. I think it's the hardest I've ever trained my entire career so far. I had a hard time at U-19 level with the late Patrick Legall ? he was our Manager ? but I think it's the hardest I've ever trained. I'm sure the rest of the guys will put their hands up and say the same thing.

I think like the saying goes, once you put in hard work, you will get some sort of benefit from it. At first, when I started to train, I couldn't score a run against Pakistan in the one day series. I was saying to myself I think I should stop training because when I wasn't training as hard, I was scoring runs. But I guess when you put in the hard work you might not see it right away, but somewhere along the line you will see it.

On whether this is the message that Bennett King tries to get across?.

Yes he does. He finds ways and means to motivate us and I think that's important as a coach. He has been doing that for me since I have been with him and I really appreciate it so far.

On if his fitness levels have improved?

A great deal. A great deal.