Sourav Ganguly Quotes

When I first became captain of the Indian cricket team in 2000, many well-wishers and journalist friends gifted me the classic Mike Brearley book, 'The Art of Captaincy.' I mean no disrespect to the book or Mr, Brearley, who I admire a great deal, but books or team meetings don't make you good captains.

I can't be a manager, because I think it's too tough managing 30 players thinking in different ways.

Not head coach - Assistant would be very attractive, but I don't think I have the discipline to deal with all the egos and personalities a head coach has to deal with.

You know, I think when you coach or you manage, you make decisions, and there's some that are really, really tough.

There is still a big onus to be coached. I understand the best teams don't need a huge amount of coaching, but that's when a coach should decide not to do coaching.

I think leadership is most effective when it's your own personality. But I feel like it's a natural progression as a quarterback, as well.

Managing can be more discouraging than playing, especially when you're losing because when you're a player, there are at least individual goals you can shoot for. When you're a manager all the worries of the team become your worries.

If the coach is good, I don't think a psychologist is needed.

People get tired of unresolved issues.

As a manager, I have to keep calm.

People talk about flip charts, tactic boards and other rubbish like that. But the truth is that as a manager you just need to get the best out of the players at your disposal.

No two managers are the same and I believe how players are man-managed on a daily basis has a huge influence on their performance on the field.

As you develop relationships in your team you have to learn how your teammates react to being yelled at or how to put your arm around them and show them how to do things. You have to build those relationships up and understand who that person is and how they respond and choose your way to lead them to hopefully help everyone out.

It's up to a manager to understand his players.

To lead a group of players is to lead a group of people with different ways of thinking. You have to be prepared for that and know more than just about football. You have to speak a lot to the players, have to make them feel what you expect of them. Have to convince them. Therefore, it's very important for a coach to have a life outside football.

Many times, I know before I speak to the player what they are thinking. It's very important to know when to push, when to put the pressure on, and when to take it off.

There's going to be situations that you get into that you're going to need help, for sure. But for the most part, I think coaching is just understanding who you have and your team, understanding yourself, and understanding the situation.

Being a point guard in this league, you have to balance out people - the emotions and stuff like that.

Players' moods change on a daily basis, so it depends how you find your players, and up to you to get the best out of them.

I'm not aggressive by nature and it was tough for me to make the transition to directing.

It's always really challenging trying to go from player to player/coach. You have a kind of friendship basis of relationship with all of your teammates, and now you go to this power position where you have to make decisions that might hurt people's feelings.

You've got to coach worrying about your entire team: whether that gets you a championship or whether that gets you fired. I think it allows you to coach free. You're coaching with freedom because you know you're doing what you think is right.

For example, I wouldn't hesitate to sit somebody down if he wasn't performing, even if he was the No. 1 player in the world. I've been sat down before.

As a whole, the managers today are different in temperament. Most have very good communication skills and are more understanding of the umpire's job. That doesn't mean they are better managers. It just means that I perceive today's managers a bit differently.

Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.