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Ask the coach
Darren Lehmann and Tom Moody, head coaches for Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad, talk about their first love, and everything beyond it. A tête-à-tête with the hard taskmasters, who make sure their players sweat it out in the sun and deliver the goods on field.
As the India domestic league begins, cricket fans in the country rivet their eyes on the players, watching their every move on field.
The teams’ coaches, understandably, stay out of sight, carefully watching their teams’ work. We get Darren Lehmann and Tom Moody, the head coaches of Kings XI Punjab and the newly inducted Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively, to share their off-field quirks, likes and dislikes with HT City.
A tête-à-tête with the hard taskmasters, who make sure their players sweat it out in the sun and deliver the goods on field.
Non-cricket passions
Darren: I like to spend time with my family
Tom: Playing golf, drinking wine and watching films.
Best way to celebrate a victory
Darren: I prefer celebrating with a cold beer and a team song
Tom: It’s always nice sharing success with the on and off field team with a quiet beer.
Which player would they bet their money on?
Both: Sir Vivian Richards
Favourite Bollywood stars
Darren: Preity Zinta
Tom: Salman Khan all the way
If not a cricket coach…
Darren: I’d have been a golfer
Tom: A businessman
Favourite Sunday activity
Darren: Drinking beer by the pool
Tom: Reading newspapers with a good coffee
First love remains cricket
Forty-year-old Darren rates himself at 7.5 on a 1-10 scale of how strict a coach he is. He believes the place to be in India is Chandigarh and says Adam Gilchrist is the most entertaining player. His favourite bedside read is 50 Shades of Grey.
The 6-ft 7-inch tall Hyderabad team’s coach, Tom, loves the ‘contest’ between a bat and a ball in cricket. His most memorable cricket moment is 1999 Cricket World Cup and he works out for 40 to 60 minutes, five times a week.
