'Big brother' Tinu Yohannan steps in as Kerala coach

KOCHI: No player in the state has watched Kerala cricket and its cricketers as closely as Tinu Yohannan in the last six years. The former India pacer joined the state coaching set-up as a bowling coach under Sairaj Bahutule in 2014. He continued in the role under veteran coaches P Balachandran and Dav Whatmore and even took charge of the team when the former was sacked midway through the 2016-17 season.
With uncertainty looming large over the next domestic season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) didn’t want to invest in a high-profile foreign coach and thought it is more prudent to name someone who knows the state cricket system and its players inside out.
In KCA’s first-ever virtual AGM held on Monday, there was a general consensus on naming Tinu as the coach and this will be the first-time the current director of state cricket body’s High-Performance Centre will be assuming charge of Kerala team in a full-time role. The 41-year-old knows the current and upcoming crop of Kerala cricketers well and believes that he will be more like a ‘big brother stepping into the role of a coach’ for these players. “The players know me really well and I have also known them for years. Together we will strive to produce best results for Kerala cricket,” Tinu, the first Test cricketer from Kerala, said.
Tinu made his debut for India in the 2001-02 home series against England and played three Tests (5 wickets) and three ODIs (5 wickets). He played first-class cricket for a decade and bagged 145 wickets from 59 matches.
As a coach, Tinu says his job will be to give the players the right environment to produce their best. “Talent-wise, our players are second to none. I will try to give the players a good platform and the best playing conditions to perform at their optimum level. But for me, preparation will hold the key to our performance,” Tinu added.
With restrictions on sporting activities due to Covid-19 in force, Tinu plans to hold a virtual session for 25 probables soon. “First, I need to know where they stand and their feedback is important. Once that happens, I can give them tips to get in shape and plan for the season ahead.”
This season will also see Tinu’s former new-ball partner S Sreesanth, the only other Test player from the state, returning to the cricket field after serving a seven-year-ban for spot-fixing. “Everybody wants to see Sreesanth back in action again. Having said that, Sreesanth will need to prove his fitness and convince everyone that he is still good enough to play at the highest level. But I know how determined Sreesanth is to make a comeback and show the world that he still has a lot left in the tank which should benefit Kerala cricket in the coming years,” said Tinu.