The Webster effect

Of the many factors that went into making the all-conquering West Indies team of the '70s and '80s, the contribution made by the support staff is often a mere footnote. Yet, speak to the players of that era and they will invariably mention the effect that Dennis Waight, the physical trainer, and Dr Rudi Webster, the sports psychologist, had on them. Waight played a part in ensuring that the side was supremely fit; Webster helped them win the mental battles, making them the ruthless force that they eventually became.

Viv Richards confirms the same in his autobiography, adding bits about how beneficial Webster was to his improvement. Richards speaks about his second international tour, one that was a hard initiation in the battlefields of Australia. "I had problems early on and scored 0, 12 and 12 in my first three innings," Richards wrote. "It created some doubts in my own mind as to my own abilities at this rarefied level; in fact, it was panic stations."

That's when the Webster effect came into play. "We [Webster and Richards] discovered through discussions that I wasn't concentrating the way I should have been when I reached a certain stage of my innings. Then it was a question of discussing how I could do so and taking it on to another level, going forward step by step." Richards did take it to the next level - getting 30, 101, 50 and 98 in his next four knocks - and it was particularly satisfying because it was made against the fearsome duo of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.

Two weeks may be a short time but the Indians will be hoping to gain as much as they can. They've had a chance to interact with Webster since May 25th and Greg Chappell briefly outlined the reasons for roping him in. "Dr. Webster is someone I've known for a long time," he said after the first day of the warm-up game. "In my opinion, he's one of the two best sports psychologists that I've experienced in all my years of playing [the other being Brisbane-based Phil Jouncey, who helps the Australian side once in a while].

"He lives in Grenada, which is close by, and I thought it was a great chance to expose the players to him," Chappell continued. "He's been working one-on-one with the players and will continue to do so till Friday. He's had a couple of sessions with the group. He's very knowledgeable on West Indian cricket and on the conditions in the region. He's too good a resource to let pass by and we approached the BCCI a few months back about using his services when we were here."

But have the results been forthcoming? "I think it is very beneficial," Chappell added, "a number of the players have commented that they've found it helpful. The players are hearing the coach and the coaching staff all the time and we may or may not be saying what Dr. Webster is saying but coming from a different perspective, different voice would help the players. Sehwag spoke to Dr. Webster before the second game at Trinidad and I thought there were distinct signs that it was beneficial."

Chappell and the rest of the side will be hoping that Webster, or for that matter, anyone, can help Irfan Pathan rediscover his groove. "Pathan is struggling for confidence at the moment," Chappell said after the Antigua batsmen had taken serious toll on Pathan. "He's probably been trying a bit too hard, maybe he's looking for pace. These are things you do when things are not going well. It's important that he does the things that worked for him. On these wickets, you really don't have any margin for error, you can't afford to be too full or too short. You need to hit the right areas."