'There's no one consistent way to treat 15 different blokes,' says Nielsen

Published>Sun, Sep 12 10 12:07 PM

Sydney, Sept.12 (ANI): Australian cricket team coach Tim Nielsen is of the view that there's no one consistent way to treat 15 different blokes who do duty for the national squad at different times during the year.

"You can't underestimate the emotional stress on a player when they come into the team. Often it's different to what they expected. There's a lot of pressure, and they get heavily scrutinized. I need to ensure they feel good about themselves, but also understand what's expected. I need to give Ricky, players who are ready mentally, technically, physically and tactically," Nielsen told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"Players at this level have an ego that tells them they are good enough. We encourage that, but they need assistance to make the right decisions when they arrive at a fork in the road," he says.

"You can't treat players the same. I can't treat Ricky the way I treat Michael Clarke or Mitchell Johnson or Nathan Hauritz. I need to be aware of how best to treat them to make sure they perform well. Sometimes, your approach comes across to them as inconsistent, but there's no one consistent way to treat 15 different blokes," he adds.

As coach, Nielsen says he keeps an open mind, avoids being rigid and utilizes his extensive support staff.

"I'm lucky to have been involved in an era of great change. When I finished playing, there were only a few, like David Hookes and Darren Lehmann, who were being paid. Most of us worked for a living. Now, the game is so professional. I feel I've grown with the game," he says. (ANI)

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