It will be hard for us: Kallicharran

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">MUMBAI:</span> West Indian great Alvin Kallicharran passed through the city on way back to his home in the UK. He had come to pay his respects to Satya Sai Baba at Puttaparthi. Kallicharran’s last stint as coach was with Kenya at the 1999 World Cup. He works as senior sales executive for PDO Ltd., a subsidiary of Costcutter Supermarkets Group.He is now to market Indian sportswear, of Omtex Healtchare. Kallicharran feels his countrymen who visit India for the winter series will find the going tough, especially now that Brian Lara is ruled out. In an interview, Kallicharran hopes Indian fans won’t be denied good cricket as they appreciate it wherever it comes. <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Excerpts.</span> <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What’s it like to be back?</span> <br />It’s always back great. I am never without friends here. <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">We hear you are promoting Indian sportswear?</span> <br />The thing about sportswear is that if you look good, it feels good and you play good. I have seen some Indian stuff and liked it. I am going to promote it. <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">You also plan to get back into coaching.</span> There is an academy in place in Ealing run by Suresh Panchal of Omtex U.K. I will try and develop it further with the ‘live-in’ concept. Lads in the 15-16 age group will do a four-year course, attend college in the same area, get attention from specialists like Ian Botham, and your greats like Bedi and Prasanna. <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Talking of Indian spinners, must have been intimidating playing them on your two tours?</span> <br />The fact of playing the spinners was not so intimidating as batting on wickets of the sort we had, tailor-made for them. This is what Test cricket is all about — you need mental discipline, and must be in charge of your destiny. <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">But it must have been hard adjusting to quality spin, used as you were to playing pace.</span> You play one ball at a time. That was what we told ourselves. I was lucky to grow up in Guyana where spinning wickets were part of our lifestyle. But in India the hurdle of the quartet of Bishen, Pras, Venkat and Chandra, was unique. It will never been seen again in world cricket. They were the equivalent of our four fast bowlers we produced. They were all different. <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What of your contemporary West Indies side we are going to watch this winter?</span> <br />Judging from the way India played in England and continued in the ICC trophy, this is going to be a hard series for our boys. Lara’s absence will make it harder. It will be a one-way traffic. I know who I’ll put my money on. <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">But every tour throws up its star, Clive Lloyd in 1968, Viv Richards in 1974, Malcolm Marshall in 1979. You reckon someone from this lot will rise?</span> <br />Most of these guys have been tried time and again. It’s an ‘old-new’ team. I can’t see one. But at the same I hope for Windies they will come good for Indians fans are hungry for good cricket and support good cricket regardless if it comes from the opposition. <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">The last time you came down here for the Masters series, you told us to watch out for your nephew.</span> Right. I hoping Mahindra Nagamootoo, my nephew, bowls well this tour. When India toured West Indies he played in the first Test and bowled well. But he got injured. I hope he does well. <br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">No plans to get back to coaching international sides?</span> <br />At this point of time I am okay with what I am doing. </div> </div>