Geoff Allott interview: Virat Kohli is a positive person who wants to impact the game and the society

It’s the World Cup year and that time of the season which fills the cricketing world with nostalgia. Talk of the 1999 World Cup and one of the names that stand out in the flipbook of memories is Geoff Allott. ‘Oh, that guy who ended up as joint-highest wicket-taker along with Shane Warne?’ Yes, that guy. 20 years down the line, the former Kiwi left-arm pacer’s face still lights up with child-like excitement with the mention of 1999 World Cup. He’s a current New Zealand Cricket board member and a businessman. He’s flown down to Mumbai for a business trip and given me 40 minutes (and not more than that). Clad in a smart blue blazer, he offers a warm handshake and orders a masala chai in the early morning chill at a five-star hotel as we sit for a chat that touches the hour mark and delays his meeting. But he’s all fine and bustling with energy as he talks about how the 1999 World Cup changed his life, left-arm fast bowling, New Zealand cricket, Trent Boult and Kane Williamson’s rise and his love for Virat Kohli.     When we talk about the 1999 World Cup, one of the names that strike the mind is Geoff Allott, the joint-highest wicket-taker. People still remember you for that. How much of an impact did that WC have in your life? To be honest and not overstating, it possibly changed my life. And I say that because now I have got a career where we own a business, Quality NZ, which has a subsidiary in India and deals with over 300 five-star hotels to bring in premium New Zealand products. Having a little bit of profile in cricket has significantly assisted that business. Sometimes I walk into some meetings and people still remember the 1999 World Cup, they don’t remember me for anything else and rightly so (laughs) but that’s possibly enough to help open a few doors. It has allowed me to continue relationships from cricket and carry it into business. The other day, we walked into one of the leading hotel chains and one of the senior procurement directors looked down at my business card and looked back up and said, “World Cup 1999, 20 wickets!” And from that point, it changed our conversation. We had something in common and we’ve had since developed tremendous relationships. The combination of cricket and the passion the Indians have for the game comes through in our business as well. We love being in this market. And I love the fact that we can combine cricket and business with India and New Zealand. [caption id=“attachment_6073541” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  “The World Cup 1999 possibly changed my life.” AFP[/caption] Left-armers were a bit of a novelty in your days. Now, most teams have at least one and often two. Why do you think that’s the case? Oh, I love it! The class of the left-armers post my era has improved markedly. The batsmen have improved as well and so have the bats and everything else. And in these conditions, you need different angles. The left-armers provide a terrific change of angles. They are effective coming over the wicket, coming in from a steeper angle back in, going across. Obviously, there are slower balls now as well, and trying to hit across them is resulting in top edges. Even if you look at T20 cricket, the effectiveness of the left-armers is right to the fore. It’s very strong. On top of that, there have been world class left-armers that have come on the scene. Starc and Boult are two really good examples of that. These guys are terrific bowlers that bowl good pace but the movement they get as well is fantastic. Is there any room for adding something extra in their armoury? What new can they bring? To be honest, they already have most of them. I am not even comparing eras, but if you look, now they bowl back-of-the-hand deliveries, sliders, off breaks, and even a fast leg-break. So (as a batsman) , you not only got the angle to contend with but you’ve also got the change of pace and then, of course, there are slower bouncers, wide yorkers coming from a steep angle. Actually, if you can execute with precision, it makes it very difficult for even classy batsmen to play. But the difference is that you can also pay dearly if you miss. Right now, what we are seeing is that we’ve got left-armers globally who are executing well. You have got to make sure that as a left-armer, you execute well, otherwise at that angles you can create holes or hitting shots, so it’s a balance. But we are seeing world class left-armers in this generation. As a left-armer, control is very important. How do you bring that control? I am fortunate enough to be involved in the high-performance committee role in the New Zealand Cricket Board and what we simply know is how much they practice, how much they train. These guys are amazing professionals who give everything. They understand that they are in the game for a limited amount of time and they want to do everything they can to be as good as they can. It’s not now wanting to make it to the New Zealand team, they are actually wanting to be world class players. And that’s terrific. Not the arrogance but the confidence to actually come out and say ‘I am going to need to do X amount of practice if I really want to be a world class player’ is the mental change. And the experience of playing in tournaments such as the IPL, where you are playing against the best more often, in pressure situations more often, you get a chance to execute your variations and if you don’t have variations, you get found out. So it forces players to practice harder, come up with some different variations to surprise. And it’s not only the execution with the ball, it’s tactics as well which go with that. And that’s the other part you are seeing now, there is terrific captaincy because players are able to execute efficiently. [caption id=“attachment_6075751” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] “You can only be impressed with the quality of the Indian bowling attack.”[/caption] The pitches have turned flat and the expectations are that scores of 300 will be a constant. What would be the key to pacers in England then? I wouldn’t be surprised if you have some really strong overhead conditions that are conducive to really good swing bowling in the first third of the tournament. And the wickets may actually have some tinge (of green) in them. But after that, it comes back to adjusting to different wickets and that’s going to be key to this World Cup. And when it starts to dry, then it comes back to your lengths, your ability to bowl variations, patience and actually creating pressure in tandem. Most important is getting wickets throughout the innings. You need guys that are wicket takers, they might go for a few runs but can stymie the opposition’s scoring ability by taking wickets right through the innings. What have you made of this Indian bowling unit, it been consistently performing well in the last couple of years? You can only be impressed with the quality of the Indian bowling attack. It has a beautiful balance of pace and spin and I’ve been impressed by the the strike rates of all bowlers. Taking wickets  (as opposed to conservative tactics) is crucial in modern cricket and this has helped India to achieve the success they have. While the whole bowling attack have impressed, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have stood out and have lead the attack from the front. I am really enjoying watching India play. If you look at the change Virat’s brought to the game in India — confidence and skill execution — it’s across the board now, it’s not a couple of batsmen or a couple of bowlers, it’s right across the team. India has become an entertaining Test cricket nation. India always had amazing talent, individual and world-leading talent like Rahul (Dravid) and Sachin (Tendulkar) obviously and guys admire them from afar. But this team, as a unit, is incredibly strong. And they can bring in players that don’t leave big gaps or holes. I admire Virat’s leadership on the field. It’s lifted not just India but also the culture of the team. I admire him for what he’s brought to Indian cricket, not only as a world class player for which his record speaks for itself but also the culture actually. I love the change in culture he’s brought. I love the confidence he brings as an Indian. His demeanor in the IPL teams and acceptance of other international players and how he immerses himself with them, that’s a credit to him as well. In terms of his impact on the global game, it’s not just his playing side, I admire as much the off-field side of Virat that actually influences so many people’s opinions and that’s a great thing. He’s a positive person who wants to have a positive impact not only on the game but on the society as well. And I think he does that amazingly well. I watched India play against Australia, I saw the confidence and belief in each other and I think that’s a massive change. Without going over the top or overboard, I give credit to the infrastructure, the coaching and the captaincy and of course the responsibility of the players to step up and deliver. Through skill execution, exposure some of your younger players have had through IPL and international players that are helping them come through the system, they go into the international scene with confidence with experience of having played with these players before. That’s the evolvement of cricket in this world. If you are lover of cricket, as I am, it’s wonderful to watch. India is a team that you turn your telly on to watch. [caption id=“attachment_6073571” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  “Virat is a positive person who wants to have a positive impact not only on the game but on the society as well.” Reuters[/caption] There is this feeling among some experts that Virat goes overboard with his aggression… I don’t agree with that. I think he’s also probably learned a bit in the last couple of years as well. I think that’s being the very thing (aggression) that has lifted up the confidence of the unit. They believe within their unit you can see that. Virat is an emotional player. Fantastic. I don’t think you apologise for that ever. As long as it is controlled, that’s good for the person and the game. You wouldn’t want to change that. Now he’s also learned that there is a line which they don’t need to step over. It’s about respect. And I watched the New Zealand vs India, it’s hard and tough cricket but was played in an amazing spirit which is terrific for the sport. If you had been playing in this era… (Interrupts) I wouldn’t be (laughs) ...How would you have gotten Kohli out, what would your strategy be? I am not even going to answer that, I won’t be in the park against him (laughs)… Look, people try and work Virat out. At the end of the day, containment is probably one of the best methods to try and get him out but its easier said than done. People try a variety of different methods and that changes for different conditions. He is a world class player and I am also a believer that if it’s his day, it’s his day. And there is a not a lot people can do other than try and contain the run rate and work in unison to create pressure which will then create a mistake and there’s nothing wrong in that strategy. You’ve got to acknowledge that players have a certain skill level that’s better than the others. But every individual nation has got different plans. Some have played more against Virat so they believe there is an area that will contain him more than the other areas and will execute that. But in some ways, I quite like to see him score a lot of runs as well…Other than against New Zealand (laughs). Trent Boult has grown steadily in the last 5 years or so and has been the highest wicket-taker among the pacers. What makes him so dangerous? He’s got that ability to bring the ball back in at pace. He presents a fantastic seam. So with the swing on offer, he will extract it. Not only that, he comes from a good height and has good tall action and also gets the bounce. The delivery going away from the batsman is also really effective. He’s developed a range of variations and he brings in his confidence, because of his experiences overseas. He’s a guy who has stood up as a leader of our bowling attack and has shown the way for some of the others. He’s really partnered beautifully with Tim Southee and they have actually also then worked in tandem which is another important facet for all bowling combinations and success even as individuals because they’ve got someone else at the other end that is also bowling well with you and creating pressure. What are the major changes he’s brought into his bowling? Again, it’s his experience. I honestly believe that the confidence of being in camps or with teams that have got international players helps you log your own thoughts about ways to potentially find weaknesses or areas that you can target. There is a huge amount of information that is now available if you are actually willing to put in work as well and he’s done that. He trains hard, is physically very fit, stays on the park and is one of those guys who has played a lot of cricket now. And the rewards are totally justified. [caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  “Trent Boult is a guy who has stood up as a leader of our bowling attack and has shown the way for some of the others.” AFP[/caption] Tim Southee hasn’t had the best of times in ODIs of late, and it seems like he’s lost a bit of swing. What’s going wrong? To be honest, I wouldn’t read too much into that. My view is that Southee is a terrific international player. His World Cup record is strong. This is a personal opinion, you don’t just lose talent. Batsmen and bowlers lose form. He’s a guy who can bounce back at any time, a class act on the field and off the park. His experience and leadership in the team are vital and he is playing a huge role in that regard. People like him deserve to be looked up from their history as well, you actually look at their record not just the moment in time. And that’s what I focus on with those players and particularly with Tim, where he’s proven even in the T20s in tough conditions here in India that he’s capable of knocking over the best and preventing the best from scoring. So I would be very reluctant to make any assumptions about how well Southee will go with regards to the World Cup if he is selected. Any moment he gets to wear the Fern, he gives it a 100 percent. You were the general manager of NZC when a lot of these players came through - Boult, Southee, Anderson, Williamson, Bracewell etc - Was there any one factor that led to that group’s collective success? I don’t think administrators can take claim to the performance of individuals. It’s really up to them. Yes, you try and lay foundations, create systems for people to improve. But largely, these guys are self-motivated. Professionalism in New Zealand Cricket is improving all the time. The culture as well. They have gone through as a group so they are able to be confident within their own environment. You’ve got to look at the players and what they have done and brought to New Zealand cricket. They have in many ways actually helped us change our philosophy around the game. And we are now trying to provide an environment that totally supports not only them as a playing group but also the White Ferns, the women’s team, and of course our youth teams as well. Four Test series wins in a row, first time in 88 years. What’s led to New Zealand’s rise In Test arena? Their success is all about the belief of the team. And they are now putting pressure on themselves. They know they want to win a series and so, as a result, that philosophy and confidence about your game and the style with which you play changes. And now we are not going out there to draw a Test match, we are going out there to win it. Sometimes that involves hard sessions. It’s not about whacking the ball, you dig in and go through points where you need to show some resilience. But other times you are actually playing very positive. You are lifting the run rate, bowling aggressively with slips and New Zealand has done that well in recent times. Even in conditions such as UAE against Pakistan, we were well out of the game and to come back, we attacked, we showed some aggression in conditions that certainly didn’t favour us was a terrific result. That’s leadership as well. You need good leadership and coaching. It’s about bringing everything together in sync, understand the philosophy and then forming your gameplan around that. I think the guys have been doing that particularly well in Test cricket. New Zealand have been inconsistent in the past in Test cricket, this has been one of our best periods ever. [caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  “When you follow someone (McCullum) that has had a lot of success and you are able to maintain that momentum, it speaks huge volumes for the person Williamson is.” AFP[/caption] Brendon McCullum set things into motion with his sportsmanship and aggressive leadership. How well has Williamson taken it forward? It’s a real credit to Williamson, to be honest. That’s a huge responsibility to pick up from a guy who’s probably transformed our game. The management team as well, Mike Hesson and Brendon worked particularly well together at that time and they had players that stepped up and bought into that whole philosophy and that’s remained with the team. But it highlights the abilities of Kane as a player and the leadership team for that matter and as a developing captain. He is already at a really high level. When you follow someone that has had a lot of success and you are able to maintain that momentum, it speaks huge volumes for the person Williamson is. I and New Zealand cricket have watched Williamson grow up as a youngster and the overriding comment at the early stage was we knew how much work he did in the background to get himself to become a world class player. And that hasn’t changed. The one leading thing I would say about Williamson is that he is one of the hardest workers in the team. What impresses you about Williamson’s batting the most? People often say and it sounds a bit clichéd but I think the time that he has to play his shots…Any good player appears to have time when he plays his shots and I think Kane is no different. Doesn’t matter what the conditions are, he adjusts quickly. He plays well under his eyes and as a result of that, he’s got a 360 game. He worked extremely hard as a youngster to be able to develop his core skills. He’s adapted his game, at one stage people thought of him as a long-form batsman only. His effectiveness in the T20s, over here in the IPL and other matches has shown that his abilities are endless. I think Kane Williamson hasn’t finished as a player in terms of being able to get better. He is just that good. He is still relatively young and he will continue to grow, gain confidence and break New Zealand records as certainly our best ever.